At the Edge of Your Light
by EradiKate
Summary: Reyes Vidal wasn't a bad man, he simply did his best work in the shadows. An expansion and more thorough look at everyone's favorite smuggler. MEA spoilers, mostly canon compliant. UPDATED RATING, MATURE CONTENT COMING UP.
1. Chapter 1

The sun was low over Kadara Port as Sara Ryder disembarked the Tempest. As uneasy as she was to be unarmed in a city full of thieves, exiles, and who knew what else, she admitted to herself that it was a relief to be out of her armor after the searing heat of Elaaden. Still, Sara knew it would be necessary to keep her wits about her. No matter what Sloane Kelly had ordered, the port was no place to let your guard down.

It was with that in mind that she leaned on the bar, slowly sipping the one beer she allowed herself.

"You look like you're waiting for someone."

The statement was nearly a question, especially when offered with a small glass of whiskey. The direct gaze meant that he either didn't know who she was or simply didn't care. If she was honest with herself, both were equally welcome. Being the Pathfinder, the face at the front of the Andromeda Initiative, was more than a full-time job and she wanted to spend five minutes talking to someone who didn't treat her with either suspicion or deference.

However, there was business to be settled. Sara smiled apologetically and raised her glass. "I'm afraid I'm not waiting for you."

His amber eyes didn't waver for a moment as he drained both whiskeys. "Shena. But please, call me Reyes. I hate code names."

"Reyes." Sara let the name roll off her tongue, allowing herself to really look at the dark-complected man. "The name's Sara Ryder. Although I have to say, I was expecting someone more…angaran."

He chuckled. "The angara pay me for information, among other things." The smirk he tossed her said he damn well knew what she'd been expecting. And that he was fully enjoying her surprise.

Head in the game, Ryder, she told herself firmly. You need this information to rescue the Moshae.

"So you're a smuggler." The flat statement only broadened his smile.

"Among other things," he repeated. "But the intel is good. I can help you get your man."

"And your price?" she asked, looking out across the bar.

She felt as well as heard his voice drop two pitches. "We can negotiate later, but you'll owe me some favors."

Sara stopped herself before she could say something embarrassing. She retreated into her cold, logical mask as they discussed details—the practical Initiative engineer once more.

* * *

Reyes found himself wanting more as Sara hammered out details with surprising efficiency, the warmth he'd sensed in her earlier giving way to a sharp and businesslike focus. Her dark eyes, which appeared brown at first, turned out to have glints of deep green and gold within. Determined to feel that sparkle again—a rarity in a place like Kadara—he chose to walk away before she could dismiss him entirely.

"Reyes," she called. "How will I contact you if this all goes south?"

He glanced back over his shoulder, flashed her a small smile, and winked. And was gratified to see the beginning of a blush creep over her face.

As he navigated his Resistance contacts, Reyes caught himself wondering what her laugh might sound like. He located a pilot who was willing to smuggle Terev off the planet, an enzyme that would eat through the restraints in the holding cell, and an access code that would open the maintenance shaft.

He also heard from one of his people that Sloane had disliked Sara on sight, but Sara was still moving freely through the port.

It wasn't long before he found her again, luckily in a shaded corner of the market. Her nose wrinkled when she spotted him and let out a small snort.

Reyes couldn't help teasing her a little. "Did you have a nice chat?"

"Sloane wasn't interested in talking," Sara muttered. "Please tell me you had more success than I did with that piece of work."

"I have most of what you need. Access codes, transport, and this." He handed her the small tube of enzyme, letting his fingers linger only the barest second on her gloved hand. "It can't be traced back to us. I hope you find this acceptable."

"Almost. I believe you owe me a drink."

Reyes lifted a hand in apology. "Normally I'm the perfect gentleman."

Sara quirked one dark eyebrow at him. "Why don't I believe you?"

"Because I am lying, of course." His reward was a small but genuine smile. "Good luck, Sara."

* * *

Vehn Terev had been extracted, the Moshae rescued, and Sara Ryder was pacing the bridge of the Tempest. Suvi's blue eyes followed her, and some concern showed in her voice. "Pathfinder, is everything all right?"

How do I answer that? Sara wondered. She knew she wasn't liked in Kadara-working with the Nexus would do that-but why had Reyes offered so openly to be her eyes on the ground? What had she gotten into, agreeing to owe him a favor? And why did she keep seeing his wink before he walked away?

She settled for a half-truth. "Nothing's wrong, Suvi. Just trying to think three or four moves ahead."

"Ooh," said Kallo from his seat at the helm. "Remind me not to play chess against you, Pathfinder."

"I'll play chess with you, Kallo," Suvi responded. "But I'm shite, so you'll have to play cribbage against me to make up for it."

The salarian bristled. "You only skunked me once, and I still don't even know what you meant by that."

"Pathfinder," SAM said quietly. "You have new communications from Liam, Dr. T'Perro, and Reyes Vidal."

Bringing up her email on her omnitool, Sara quickly skimmed over some ramblings from Liam on his time in crisis response, an update on the crew's medical needs from the doctor, and focused her attention on a brief note from the smuggler-turned-Resistance fighter. He was requesting assistance in finding a murderer in Kadara Port.

"Suvi, Kallo, plot a course for Kadara," she ordered. "If you need me, I'll be in the armory." Sara jogged across the ship, slid down a ladder, and found Vetra at her favorite workbench, lovingly cleaning a wicked-looking sniper rifle.

"Hello, Pathfinder," Vetra greeted her. "I can spare some room here if you need to work."

"Thanks, Vee." Sara pulled out her sidearm, a battered Carnifex, and began to dismantle it mechanically. The turian hummed quietly for a few minutes, then frowned.

"Expecting trouble at our next stop? Thought we were headed to the Nexus."

Sara shook her head as she snapped the pistol scope into place. "We're heading back to Kadara Port first. Someone's asked us for help there. Do you know a smuggler named Reyes Vidal?"

Vetra's fringe twitched thoughtfully. "Only by reputation. He's the contact?"

"He is. But I wonder if I'm doing the right thing, working with a known criminal." She polished the stock, then set down her rag with a sigh.

"You tried to work with Sloane Kelly," Vetra pointed out. "And from what I know of Vidal, he's mostly clean. You know, aside from the smuggling. Doesn't kill if he can avoid it, no drugs, that sort of thing."

"He's still an exile," Sara grumbled.

"Hey, if you want a morality compass, you're talking to the wrong woman. I think Cora's in the mess if you need some Initiative doctrine."

"Ha ha. Don't let her hear you say that."

"Are you kidding? I saw her nearly fight a krogan hand-to-hand back on Elaaden. Would have been a bloodbath if Drack hadn't talked her down."

"Wait, Drack was the voice of reason?" Sara was stunned. "How did I miss that?"

"I think you were fighting a fiend at the time. Hey, leave your Avenger with me until we dock. I picked up a new barrel I think you'll like."

"Thanks, Vetra."


	2. Chapter 2

Reyes tried to relax in the back room of Tartarus, but the murders had him on edge. Someone was targeting his people, and he was almost certain it was the work of the Roekaar. He couldn't move, though, until he had proof.

He'd survived exile on gut instincts and secrecy, and right now his gut was telling him that bringing Sara in on his investigation would crack everything wide open. But, he reasoned, a murderer couldn't walk free, not even in Kadara. Seeing Sara had nothing to do with it.

If only he could believe that.

The die was cast. The Tempest had docked earlier that morning and Reyes knew Sara wouldn't mess around when it came to cold-blooded murder. All he could do was wait for her to show, and he waited with a certain amount of trepidation tempered by anticipation.

So when the lean brunette strode into his bar, armed and backed by a turian and a krogan, he greeted her as off-handedly as he could. "I was hoping you'd stop by." He was expecting to fence pleasantries along with information.

But something had lit a fire under her. After she'd shared her data and heard his request, Sara crossed her arms, eyed him, and commented, "Sounds like I'm pretty important to this investigation."

Before he could think, he answered honestly. "That fancy AI of yours is. You...are a bonus."

Behind her, the turian grinned. The krogan grunted. SAM noted, "Mr. Vidal, without the Pathfinder's experiences and instinct, I would not be as capable as I am."

"My apologies, Sara. I'm sending a navpoint to your omnitool. Please, investigate this while I...chase down another lead."

She seemed slightly mollified, the krogan remained unmoved, and the turian snickered. "Where do we rendezvous?"

"There is a raider camp near Sulfur Springs. We'll meet there at 1800."

"Send me the coordinates. If you're right about this, we've got to move quickly."

He watched her walk away, but not before her turian friend gave him a knowing smile. "All right, Vidal," he said to nobody in particular, "time to get to work."

The first step was to figure out who she was working with. The turian had seemed friendly enough, but the krogan's lack of communication worried him slightly. Reyes knew he probably wasn't too friendly with the Nexus, but some krogan had stayed on after the mutiny. No telling what his motivations might be.

Reyes' mouth twisted at the irony. Careful, he told himself. You're already in over your head.

The murder victims posed a puzzle, as well. Human, angara, a handful of Outcasts, and some innocent bystanders (he knew one to be a Collective agent)...there had to be some common thread. Being a betting man, Reyes would put a pile of credits on the murdered angara being alien sympathizers.

He had to be certain, though, that Sloane wasn't sacrificing pawns in order to stay out of danger and in control. And with that in mind, he went to have a talk with the bartender at Kralla's Song.

Umi, however, was both busier and more tight-lipped than usual. It cost him all his considerable charm (and the aforementioned pile of credits) to get her talking. She did, however, confirm that Sloane and her second, Kaetus, had been arguing at Outcast headquarters. She also told him where to find the operative who'd sustained a broken collarbone in the aftermath.

Thank whatever that the Operative was happier to divulge what he knew. He informed Reyes that Sloane and Kaetus had disagreed on the source of the attacks, that Kaetus believed the attacks to be unconnected while Sloane was convinced that they were the work of the Charlatan. The operative added that Sloane was getting skittish, leaving HQ less and less, and only in the company of Kaetus.

By the time he reached the rendezvous point, he was twenty minutes late and Sara was hip deep in negotiations with the Roekaar leader. She radiated an icy calm, but she couldn't see the angaran behind her, quietly preparing to execute her. Before anyone could notice him, he pulled his sidearm and put a bullet in the angaran's skull.

Predictably, at that point, everything went to hell.

The leader quickly rolled behind a stack of crates, reaching for her shotgun and readying to shoot. The turian and krogan each sprang to the side, and Sara shouted in sudden rage. "Reyes! About time your ass showed up!"

He smiled merrily as Roekaar began pouring in like ants to a spill. "I'm here in time for the party. Care to dance?"

Sara showed her teeth in a fierce little smile. "Try to keep up, Vidal!"

He hadn't counted on it being such a challenge.

Sara and her team (he'd learned that the turian woman was Vetra Nyx, and the krogan was Nakmor Drack) worked together nearly seamlessly. She snapped out orders via commlink, never hesitating in the slightest. He could tell she'd chosen her backup with care-Vetra fell back to pick off isolated enemies, Sara darted around stripping shields and setting fires, and Drack charged in for cleanup.

The fight was brief but bloody, and ten minutes later, Sara pulled off her helmet and shook her hair loose from its ponytail. Her eyes sparkled as she turned to face Reyes, and he caught his breath in admiration. Not many women could make scorched armor and sweat-damp hair look appealing.

She gave him a crooked smile (did she notice his reaction?) and sauntered over to a console. "Let's get whatever intel we can out of here and split. I could really go for a cold drink."

Drack grunted in agreement. "Hey, kid." It took Reyes a moment to realize the krogan was addressing him. "Do they have any ryncol at Tartarus?"

* * *

Sara stretched lithely as she settled on one of the couches in Reyes' private room at Tartarus. Now that the skirmish was over, she had to fight off the nerves that plagued her every time she came out of an adventure. She wished, not for the first time, that her brother was there.

Scott would have known what to say to her team. Would have known what to say to her, to reassure and inspire. He was like their mother had been, gifted with words and the kind of leader people would have followed anywhere. Sara, on the other hand, had inherited her father's proclivity for tactics. It wasn't much help when finding a home, but it certainly came in handy when fighting kett.

The door opened as she closed her eyes. She heard footsteps and the sound of two glasses being set on a table.

"You put on quite the show, Sara."

She stiffened, then felt the weight of Reyes press down on the couch next to her.

"We need to talk about what's going on here." She opened her eyes to meet his concerned gaze.

"You mean the drink I owed you?"

"No, I mean that you're a smuggler. An exile. I don't know what your angle in this is." She ran her hands through her hair and shook her head.

"I want a better life for the people here."

"And yourself." Sara leaned forward and picked up one glass, taking a moment to enjoy the feel of the cold metal on her skin.

"And myself," Reyes agreed, a note of amusement in his voice. "Ask me questions, if you like. I wouldn't know where to start."

She took a sip of her drink. Whiskey, neat. At least she knew that much about him, but the question she asked surprised even her. "What does your codename mean?"

He let out a genuine laugh. "Shena? It's Shelesh. It means 'mouth.' I'm...good with words."

"Among other things?" She felt herself turning red.

Reyes merely smiled.

"Right," Sara said. "I can see why you'd prefer to use your real name. What did you do on the Nexus?"

"I was a shuttle pilot. Ran supplies to outposts, exploration teams, nothing exciting." His gaze clouded over for a moment. "I thought there would be more in it."

Taking another pull of her whiskey, Sara waited for him to clarify. When he didn't, she pressed on. "Were you part of the mutiny?"

"Nothing as simple as that, no. I left during the upheaval, but didn't participate otherwise. I saw what was happening, and took the opportunity to go."

"Then why are you helping me?"

"Because...because maybe things would have been different if someone like you had been with us then." He leaned slightly toward her. "You're a fighter. And you're good."

Before Sara could ask another question, there was a light tap at the door and Drack stumped in. "Hey, kid. Cora says there's a vidcall for her that she wants the Pathfinder on."

Reyes' face smoothed into a mask. "I won't keep you, Sara. But I hope you stop by again."

* * *

A/N: Thanks for the follows and reviews!


	3. Chapter 3

Sara cursed Cora's timing all the way back to the Tempest, then started cursing herself for her inability to read Reyes. And then cursed Drack for interrupting.

For good measure, she also cursed Reyes for being too near, too smooth, and entirely too attractive. She recalled his scent, his broad shoulders, and the way his eyes had traced her lips. Had he been leaning in to kiss her? She didn't know if she was disappointed or relieved that she wouldn't find out.

"Pathfinder." From the tone and look Cora was giving her, Sara guessed it wasn't the first time she'd tried to get her attention.

"Sorry, Cora."

"Ready for the call? I think, I hope, it's news of the Leusinia." The blonde rocked back on her heels, clearly anxious for word of her colleagues and friends.

Sara tried to be reassuring, patting her second-in-command on the shoulder. "Go ahead. I'm here." The two women faced the vidcom and Cora pushed the call button.

" _Lieutenant Harper, Pathfinder,"_ said the asari on screen. " _I've got good news and bad news."_

Beside her, Sara could feel Cora exhale sharply. "What can you tell us, Hydaria?"

" _We've found a radiation trail that matches that of the Leusinia. It's currently in orbit around Valay."_

Sara leaned forward, gazing intently at the screen. "Have you been able to make contact?"

" _No. We've also detected two other radiation trails, both of which are in the same range as kett warships."_

Cora paled, pressing her lips firmly together. "Ryder…"

"I know, Cora. Hydaria, please send all relevant information to Suvi Anwar. She and Kallo will get us there as fast as the Tempest can take us."

" _Thank you, Pathfinder. Goddess go with you."_ Sara broke off the call and turned to Cora.

"Go see Dr. T'Perro before you fall down. And then go get Peebee. We're finding that ark come hell or high water, but we need to put together a plan of attack first."

* * *

It was a quiet ride back to the Tempest; even Peebee was subdued. Sara's head spun with the realizations of the day: Sarissa had intentionally sacrificed the matriarch in order to gain information on the kett and the Scourge. How far would she have gone? When the chips were down, what sacrifices were acceptable for a Pathfinder to make?

Sara didn't know. She was striking out blindly, making it up as she went along. Who would pay the price when she crossed the line?

She couldn't meet Cora's eyes. She'd torn down one of the asari heroes and replaced her with Vederia, a Pathfinder nearly as green as Sara herself. Sara might have been doubting herself, but she had a feeling Cora was doubting everything she knew.

Before they could board the ship, however, she asked Cora gently if she was all right. The biotic shook her head, shrugged, and nodded. "We'll talk later, Pathfinder...but right now I need to think," was all she would say as she disappeared into the lab.

"Bridge is yours, Pathfinder," Kallo said cheerfully. Sara shot him a glare that the salarian missed entirely, then turned to her email terminal.

A request for an interview, some truly awful poetry from Gil, and a note from Reyes, letting her know that he'd appreciated her work and would spread the news around Kadara. Sara briefly told Suvi to head to the Nexus with the asari ark, climbed down to her quarters, and fell bonelessly into bed.

Exhausted as she was, sleep eluded her. There were too many doubts and worries weighing on her, but it wasn't until she remembered Reyes' assertion that she was a fighter, and good, that she let the tears go. Once she could cry no more, she fell into fitful dreaming.

* * *

She woke the next morning to a sticky face and a pounding headache. "SAM? Can you make sure there's no one in the showers right now?"

"Pathfinder, the crew quarters are mostly clear, although Jaal is currently working on some communications."

Sara hung up her towel and stepped into the spray of warm water with relief. As she scrubbed her hair and face, she realized there was a graze along her forehead and into her hairline that had scabbed closed overnight. Well, she thought, I have to go see Dr. T'Perro about this headache anyway.

Feeling only marginally better after drying off and putting on clean clothes, she padded barefoot down to the medical bay, where the good doctor practically pounced on her. Lexi fussed over the minor wound, admonishing Sara to keep it clean. Then she poked her with a needle, shined an unnecessarily bright light in her eyes, and pronounced her slightly dehydrated.

"So that means no coffee for you today, Pathfinder. Drink some extra water and hang out in the bio lab if you can."

Sara groaned. "Have you talked to Cora yet today, Lexi?"

The doctor tilted her head slightly to the side. "I have. And it's my professional opinion that I should stay out of this one. You need to speak to her yourself. You're free to go, but for pity's sake put some shoes on." Sara halfheartedly made a face, but retreated to her quarters to find her shoes anyway.

She knew she was only delaying the inevitable, and found herself hesitating outside the bio lab five minutes later. As she raised a hand to knock at the door, it opened to reveal Cora, who looked about as cheerful as Sara herself felt.

"SAM told me you were waiting. Come in."

Sara started to apologize, but Cora cut her off. "It's okay, Ryder. I realized last night...this is why Alec chose you. I spend too much time looking to others, idolizing the mentor. I couldn't make the hard choices. Not like you." She sighed. "But I think I know where I fit in, now. I think I know where to build my foundation."

"What do you mean?"

"I've emailed Vederia. Once this cluster is less of a mess, I want to set up a commando training camp. But before that, I've offered to help her out. To pass along what I've learned from your father-and you."

Sara couldn't speak.

"What do you say, Pathfinder?"

She swallowed hard, the knot in her chest tightening the slightest bit. "I think my father would have been happy to hear that."

* * *

After checking in with the Nexus, Sara was looking forward to a night off. Liam had perused the movie library and Suvi was concocting something unnervingly green in the galley. For the moment, she herself was trying to meditate in Liam's cargo bay. But Vetra had other ideas.

"Pathfinder."

She nearly jumped out of her skin.

"Oh, sorry." Vetra sounded almost sheepish. "Look, I wanted to ask you a favor. I got a whiff of whatever it is Suvi's cooking, and I think we need better snacks."

"You don't want green biscuit things?"

"Not really, no. But I've got a line on something, and I think everyone will appreciate it."

Sara smiled tiredly. "What is it, and where do we get it?"

"Popcorn. Think we can make a stop by Kadara?"

* * *

Reyes saw the message come through as he returned from a drop near Prodromos.

 _"Ryder and Tempest bound for Kadara Port. You owe me one. - V"_

Suddenly, even the slums of Kadara were a little brighter. And Reyes admitted to himself that he'd somehow gotten tangled up in Sara. He'd flirted with her at first simply to amuse himself, but he hadn't expected her to return fire. The fact that she was beautiful...well, he'd always had a weakness for pretty faces. It had landed him in trouble more than once.

He hadn't been lying when he'd told her she was good. That she was making a difference in Heleus, that people had hope because of what she'd done. And she knew he wasn't responsible for any part of the mutiny, but she didn't know his whole story just yet. Reyes couldn't be sure how Sara would react, but he knew from long experience that it was easier to ask forgiveness than to obtain permission.

It wasn't the time to think about that, though. There were still plans to be made, and a visit from Sara to enjoy. Sitting down at his console, he sent notes to a handful of colleagues, asking them to keep an eye on the Pathfinder and to let him know as soon as the Tempest docked.

Fortunately, Reyes didn't have to wait long. Only two cycles had passed before he received a ping letting him know that the Tempest had been cleared to enter atmo. He hurried toward Tartarus, suddenly conscious that he needed to tell her how he felt.

The Sara who walked into his room, though, was drawn and ashen, except for the livid red mark across her forehead. Words died on his lips as he took in her palpable exhaustion, stress pulling every line in her face and neck taut.

He almost hated himself for it, but he slid his drink across the table to her, remarking only that it was good to see her again. She sat down wordlessly and threw it back in a single gulp. Had it been any other situation, he would have been impressed.

The muffled beat of the music outside bore down on them, until Sara finally lifted her head and bravely attempted to act like nothing had happened. "What's the hot gossip, Reyes? Any closer to finding that pesky Charlatan?"

"Sara, stop." He reached out to her, but stopped short of stroking her hair.

"It's that obvious?"

"That you're hurting? Yes." This time his hand came down on her shoulder, only for her to wrench away.

"It's just work, Vidal." Her use of his last name stung. "There are thousands of people out there counting on me to take care of them. I'm just tired."

"But who takes care of you?"

"Lexi patches me up." Sara set her jaw stubbornly. "I'm fine." He watched her walk away, lacking her usual fire.

That night, he threw himself into his work, but he couldn't forget how hollow her eyes had been. Sara Ryder was too stubborn for her own good.


	4. Chapter 4

_I'm sorry. If you want to talk, you know where to find me. - Reyes_

Two weeks later, and she still didn't know how to respond. Instead, she was back on the Hyperion, sitting next to Scott's bed. Harry had considerately given her a wide berth, allowing her to quietly fill her still-comatose twin in on the happenings of the last month.

"It's even more of a challenge than we thought it would be, little bro. Everything here is new, terrifying, and beautifully lethal. But people are working hard. Our first two outposts are thriving, and a third is almost ready to take off. Dad would have wanted this, I think. Mom, too.

"You'd ask me about my personal life, I know, but even that's rougher than it was in the Milky Way. I have my crew, and we look out for each other...but it's not enough. I still have to be their boss. Everyone else here either distrusts me or wants something from me. I need a friend.

"Wake up soon, Scott. I love you."

She squeezed his hand and sat in silence a moment longer before rising and nodding to Harry as she left the cryo bay.

"Ryder!"

Sara turned to see Liam sprinting toward her, a look of near-panic on his face. "Steady, Kosta."

He skidded to a halt, panting slightly. "Can we talk somewhere private?"

* * *

Sara poked a few buttons on the coffee machine in her father's (no, hers now) quarters, then pointed at the table opposite. "Sit. Explain."

Liam fidgeted. "Well, you know how I've been trying to organize some more formal Initiative/angara partnerships and trades, right? And I've been met with roadblocks at every turn."

She dumped an extra sugar packet into her cup. "Get to the point."

"I may have slightly compromised Prodromos."

She added a third, poured in the coffee, and stirred, all while giving her best unimpressed stare.

"But I've got a plan! We just need to find my friend Verand, maybe take out some kett, and make sure the data I gave her is still secure."

Sara took a sip of the scalding brew. "That doesn't sound difficult at all."

Liam missed the sarcasm. "Hey, aren't you going to share?"

"No."

* * *

Early afternoon was a slow time at Kralla's Song, and Reyes sat by the window taking full advantage of the relative quiet. Umi was there, of course, scowling blackly at everything in general and nothing in particular, but the only patrons were conducting business.

"Is this seat taken?"

He knew it wasn't Sara, the voice was too raspy and breathy. It had attracted him, once, but the owner was too manipulative and dishonest for even Reyes himself to tolerate. Still, it wouldn't kill him to be polite. "Hello, Zia."

"Hello, lover," she almost purred in response, even in her armor managing to settle gracefully on the barstool.

Reyes rolled his eyes. "Cut the seductress act. What do you want?"

Zia's black eyes kindled with irritation. "Just to catch up with an old friend, of course."

He didn't believe her for a second. "You know me, just doing shady work for honest pay. Excuse me, I'm meeting with a client in ten minutes." He finished his drink and stood as if to leave.

She pushed a hand flat against his chest. "Word's out, Reyes. You've been getting friendly with the Pathfinder. People are starting to think you've gone soft."

Reyes shrugged. "She needed some questionable supplies. I helped her out, for a price."

Her eyes narrowed. "That's not what the Outcasts think."

 _Shit._ "The Outcasts can think whatever they like." He set down his empty glass. "Go report to Sloane that I'm not interested in joining up."

"Of course not, darling. You're too busy cozying up to the Nexus. Fuck off, Vidal."

"Gladly." Reyes stalked out past Umi, who stopped scowling long enough to shake her head at him.

* * *

In a way, Reyes was relieved that Zia possessed no capacity for subtlety whatsoever. He could live without her particular brand of caustic jealousy, but at least she had no idea that he was much more than the simple smuggler he pretended to be.

Being constantly underestimated had its perks.

However, it was only a matter of time until someone with a mind for spycraft picked up on his dealings with Sara, and Reyes didn't want to entertain thoughts of what that might mean for her. So instead he decided to channel his sudden anxiety into the next step of his plan.

The key to bringing Sloane down, he realized, was that she needed to feel isolated. As though she couldn't trust anyone. And as long as Kaetus stood in his way, that wasn't going to happen. Even worse, Kaetus was personally loyal. Reyes didn't think he had a chance of turning him.

Maybe he didn't have to.

Sloane had been taking out her frustrations on her underlings, he knew that much. The public beatings she inflicted on those who couldn't pay her protection fees had become even more brutal, taking place in the middle of the market. Two people had recently died as a result.

It was unconscionable. Kadara might have been populated by exiles but Sloane Kelly was the worst kind of tyrant. Nobody could live for long under her rule. Reyes was a betting man, and he decided it was time to take a gamble on some of her bodyguards.

* * *

Sara slumped on Liam's couch, having finished chewing him out for insubordination and damn near treason. She reflected that at least Bradley could be counted on to keep this one quiet, and Verand had promised to pass whatever information she could their way.

"At ease, Kosta." The young man sat down as well. "I have a...personal matter to address with you."

Liam immediately leapt back to his feet. "I'm sorry, Pathfinder! It won't happen again."

Sara blinked. " _What_ won't happen again, Liam?"

He stuttered a moment, then grinned nervously. "You know, the whole unauthorized-operation thing."

"You're a terrible liar, you know."

Liam sighed. "I thought you'd found out that I made some comments about wanting to hook up with you when we were first brought out of cryo." Her jaw dropped. "I knew I shouldn't have said it around Gil."

Sara dissolved into giggles for the first time in weeks. "No, you can still trust him. I hadn't heard anything of the sort."

"The laughing isn't exactly making me feel better, Ryder!"

She tried to compose herself, failed miserably, and laughed until she had tears in her eyes. Even Liam cracked an embarrassed smile.

"Sorry, Liam."

"Yeah, me too. I still think you're hot and all, but I'm over it. You could probably kick my arse across the cluster and I don't think my ego can handle that. So what did you want to talk about?"

Sara twisted her hands together. "You make friends so easily. I've noticed that wherever we go, there's always someone happy to see you."

Liam shrugged. "People are people, even in a new realm of space."

"Yeah, but how do you do it?"

"It's easy, Pathfinder. You just open up and let people in." He looked at her sidewise. "Is this about someone in particular?"

"Maybe. I don't know yet."

"Well, the next time Gil and I go planetside for poker you're more than welcome to join us. Some socializing that doesn't involve guns might help."

"I appreciate the invite, Liam, but I don't really feel like losing all my credits to Gil." Sara smiled and headed to her quarters.

* * *

 _Reyes,_

 _Sorry, it's been a while since we've made it to Kadara. Pathfinding is busy work and Tann's been up my ass about new settlements._

 _On a more personal note, I'm sorry I treated you so badly the last time we saw each other. I'd say it's because I've been overworked, but I don't want you to think I'm making excuses. Can I buy you a drink as an apology? No promises on when._

Sara read the message over again and hit send before she could talk herself out of it. Reyes might have been a smuggler and an exile, but he was the first person in Andromeda to ask her about herself.

She hadn't realized how important that was at the time, and she could only hope he'd understand what that meant to her now that she knew.


	5. Chapter 5

Reyes Vidal was low on funds. Between bribes and ammunition, it had been an expensive month. He didn't mind, exactly, but time spent earning credits was time that wasn't spent extending his influence over Kadara. He did, however, allow himself time every morning to send a quick note to Sara.

He'd been over the moon (so to speak) when she'd emailed him, apologizing and asking him for a drink. She had been so tense during their last conversation, so poised for flight...Reyes had been certain that she would avoid him. He'd responded, suggesting a more regular correspondence. Sara had eagerly written back, saying that some friendly words would be a welcome break. That was a week ago, and not a day had passed that she hadn't sent at least an odd thought or two.

Her latest note detailed the tension between Dr. T'Perro and Peebee. As he read it, he could almost hear the warm, confidential tone she'd used the first time they met. Sara mentioned that she thought Peebee was being a little silly. After all, Andromeda was a new place. It was damn sheer luck that nobody had caught some sort of infectious disease yet.

Personally, Reyes could sympathize with Peebee. Bullets and espionage didn't faze him in the slightest, but needles were a different story.

 _Your Remnant-obsessed friend might be on to something. When I was 17 and entering flight school, I had to get immunized for what I assume was every known disease in the galaxy. It ended up being at least eight needles. I made it through all the shots, but passed out when they stuck me for blood tests. The medtech told my bunkmate, who told everyone else, and I got called Goat (short for Fainting Goat) for the whole of basic training. I've never quite been able to trust medical professionals since._

Hoping that would brighten her day, he finished his protein bar breakfast and went about the tedious task of finding paying work.

* * *

Fourteen hours later, after a weapons run, two reclaimed water filters, and one very angry challyrion, Reyes collapsed on his bed. He briefly wondered why he didn't ask hazard pay, and resolved to do less concrete work next time. Intel was less immediately dangerous and paid better.

Before he could completely pass out, a quiet blip from his console alerted him to new messages. The first was a request for services moving items off-world, fairly standard. He sent a quick acknowledgement, asking to set up a meet for the next day. The second was from Sara.

 _You and Scott are a lot alike in that sense. Just before we got our first postings, Scott and I went out and got matching tattoos. (It's the constellation Gemini, I know it's a little cliche, but if you ask nicely maybe I'll show you anyway.) You'll meet Scott someday, I hope, and I'll tell the whole story then. As his sister, I'm more or less contractually obligated to embarrass him at every turn. Lucky for me, he's a good sport about it._

 _What about you, Goat? (I promise that this is the only time I'll ever call you that.) What was your family like?_

* * *

"Really, Ryder?" Kallo sounded extremely irritated, more so than Sara thought was warranted. After all, she was just walking across the top of the ship.

"I have to test my jump jets regularly, Kallo. I just cleaned and recalibrated my suit and I thought it would be safest to test them here, where Lexi can scrape me off the landing pad if something goes wrong."

"While I appreciate your concern, Pathfinder, I would prefer not to be used as an excuse in this...exercise," the doctor commented. "There is a perfectly good rock face not fifty meters from where you are standing."

"Thank you, Dr. T'Perro." Kallo sniffed. "The Tempest is a delicate piece of engineering. She is not your jungle gym!"

"Aw, come on, Kallo," Gil chimed in. "She came through the Scourge just fine, and Ryder only weighs about two hundred pounds in her armor."

Sara threw up her hands in defeat. "That better be an extremely generous estimate, Brodie!" She eased her way down and zoomed over to the Nomad, where Jaal was waiting quietly. "And anyway, all jump jet functions are online. We are good to go hunt down some Remnant tech. Where's Peebee?"

"Right here, Pathfinder!" Peebee chirped, Poc bobbing along behind her like a novelty balloon. "Thanks for agreeing to a field test."

"Thank Vetra, she's the one who planted bits of tech all over Eos for us to find." Sara adjusted the driver's seat and frowned at the rearview mirror. "Maybe I should have had Cora do it, she's about my height."

Peebee smirked. "Cora's too busy with that xenobotanist at Prodromos. If you ask me, gardens aren't the only thing she's got on her mind."

"Peebee, have you tried minding your own business?" Sara buckled her seat belt.

"It's _boring_! No romantic entanglements here...unless...Jaal?" Peebee scooted closer to him and smiled sweetly.

"No, thank you," Jaal declined. "Though I am flattered, in a way."

Peebee sighed. "Nobody on this crew is any fun."

"You're free to do this insane scavenger hunt on your own, Pelessaria," Sara teased.

"Don't get me started on you, Ryder. You're less fun than everyone else combined."

Jaal cleared his throat. "Is that an idiom, or did that just fail make any sense?"

* * *

 _I notice you didn't mention where your tattoo is. I'm curious._

 _As for my family, I left them in the Milky Way. My parents were both teachers, and one of my sisters followed in their footsteps. My other sister and my brother ran a cafe in our hometown. It's strange to think of them in the past tense. I didn't know I'd miss them as much as I do._

 _Not to say it was easy to leave, but there just weren't many opportunities for me. I came here to find a place for myself. As you've no doubt noticed, that hasn't exactly turned out the way I hoped, either._

* * *

 _In some ways, I think I had it easier than a lot of others. I miss some things about home, but making the trip with Dad and Scott meant that I'd always have family. Or at least it started that way. Now, I just find myself praying to a god I'm not sure exists that Scott wakes up soon. He's all I've got left._

 _On a happier note, Vetra's been after me to make a stop on Kadara. I think we'll be there in a cycle or two, barring any weirdness._

 _Stay out of trouble, Reyes._

 _P.S. My tattoo is on my bicep, don't be gross._

* * *

Reyes' first warning that this was no ordinary cargo move was that the client did not want to meet. The second was that the client swore him to absolute secrecy regarding the cargo itself. The third, of course, was that the cargo went missing. And that Zia had left a note for him at Tartarus, rubbing it in.

"Look, she even left a lipstick kiss on it!" Keema exclaimed, then doubled over laughing.

He was not amused in the slightest. "That job was supposed to cover my expenses for the next three weeks. I'm going to have to scramble to eat!"

Keema only laughed harder. "So how are you going to get her back?"

"I'll ask Sa-the Pathfinder for help. She was a pro, tracking down the Roekaar a few weeks ago. Besides, she still thinks she owes me for Terev."

The angaran pursed her lips. "Strictly business, Vidal?"

"Not quite." Reyes shrugged and turned back to his shuttle.

"You're full of it."

He stopped in his tracks.

"Stars above. You really care about her, don't you?" Keema came around to his field of vision. "I thought you were just being...you. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that."

"It's hard not to like her." Reyes gestured wildly, then dropped his hands to his sides. "She's smart, funny, and absolute hell on wheels in a fight."

"Have you asked her on a date yet?"

"With what time? She's the goddamn Pathfinder. She's always running around, never taking a moment for herself. I'm lucky she's heading this way at all."

Keema tapped her chin thoughtfully. "Sloane is having another one of her little parties in a few days. I'll get you on the list. Bring the Pathfinder."

"I'll ask her, but I think you've lost your mind, Keema."


	6. Chapter 6

Unlike Keema, Sara didn't find the cargo theft humorous. Reyes quickly outlined the nature of the job, and was pleasantly surprised when she readily agreed to help.

"But we split the profits 50/50."

There it was. Vetra must have given her lessons. "60/40, and that's my final offer."

"Deal." Sara gave him a radiant smile, and he had to remind himself that even with their newly-formed friendship, he still had to take this slowly. "So where do we start?"

"When she's in town, Zia drinks at Kralla's Song. I thought we'd see if we could get any information there." Reyes paused. "You probably want to leave your guns."

"I should let the crew know we'll be docked for a while, too. I'll meet you there in fifteen minutes."

* * *

Sara breezed into Kralla's Song twenty minutes later, having been briefly caught up in a spat between Kallo and Gil.

She felt...different. Lighter, somehow, even knowing she was hunting down stolen goods. She couldn't deny that she was pleased to see Reyes, and she was sure he'd been equally happy to see her. She made a mental note to thank Vetra later.

For the moment, she'd spotted Reyes across the room, his broad shoulders and black hair notable even in the gloom of the seedy bar. Sara waited until she was directly behind him to speak. "You look like you're waiting for someone."

His face lit up as he turned to her. "That's my line. I was beginning to think you'd stood me up."

Sara feigned shock. "I wouldn't dream of it, Reyes."

Umi had heard enough. "Are you two here for drinks or a room?"

Sara, caught off-guard, had a quick flash of what might happen in said room. She blushed furiously, but was spared the necessity of answering by Reyes.

"Information, actually."

"That'll cost you more than a round of drinks." Umi favored them with a slightly less angry version of her usual scowl. Neither she nor Reyes seemed to notice Sara's embarrassment.

"I think my friend here is good for it," Reyes said lightly.

"I said I'd buy you a drink, Reyes, not intel," Sara growled. "You'll owe me for this." She tapped a few keys on her omnitool, then leaned on the bar.

"Trust me, Sara, you are one person I will happily owe something." He smiled down at her, his voice a promise, and the bartender groaned. "Umi, has Zia Cordier been in recently?"

"You mean your ex? She was here just a few hours ago."

Sara sat bolt upright. "Ex? As in ex-girlfriend?"

"'Girlfriend' is kind of a strong word. We had drinks occasionally." Reyes cleared his throat and glowered at Umi. "So, did Zia meet with anyone, or mention any business?"

"She met with a salarian. Shifty looking guy, I'd never seen him before." Umi's voice became even drier than usual. "Maybe he was the Charlatan."

Sara thought she saw a shadow of something flicker across Reyes' face as he chuckled, but it was gone before she could figure out what it was. "Anything's possible, of course."

Umi rolled her eyes. "They mentioned a meet at Spirits Ledge, and left pretty quickly after that."

"Thanks, Umi."

"Whatever," Umi acknowledged him. "You didn't hear it from me." The bartender stalked off, probably to glare at some unsuspecting drunk.

"Can you take a trip up to Spirits Ledge while I work my contacts on the Collective angle? The more ground we can cover, the better."

"First, you need to level with me." Sara crossed her arms. "Is this about the cargo, or are you trying to one-up your ex?"

His face gave away nothing. "Why, Sara, are you jealous?"

"Just answer the damn question." She could be stubborn when she felt like it.

Reyes laughed and nudged her playfully. "It's about the cargo."

* * *

Sara hadn't flinched away from his touch this time. And although she may not have admitted anything, Reyes felt a certain hope that she was attracted to him, too. She wouldn't be worried about Zia if she wasn't.

Even with the stolen cargo, it was turning out to be a pretty good day.

Reyes weaved through the back alleys of Kadara Port as he tracked the movements of Zia's business associate. The salarian made stops at several weapons dealers, a "medical" dispensary, and finally landed in a small apartment. He waited nearly an hour before the fence left again, circling around to the rear of the building to avoid being seen.

When he judged the coast to be clear, Reyes bypassed the security lock in a matter of seconds and quietly stepped inside. The single room was a jumble of illegal weapons, Oblivion paraphernalia, and datapads. And if the security on the door was easy to hack, the datapads were a joke. He browsed through the communications and inventories, noticing there was no pattern to the deals and no real connection to either the Collective or the Outcasts.

He did, however, find a Carnifex MkV. Recalling that he rarely saw Sara without her well-used MkIII, he concealed it under his flight suit and quietly headed back to Tartarus.

Before he could make it to the slums, Sara's voice cut across his comm.

" _Reyes, I found something. Looks like a dead drop, the only thing here is a datapad with a navpoint. Find anything on your end?"_

"Zia's salarian friend was a fence. He was probably just trying to find a buyer for...whatever it is Zia stole. Send me the coordinates, I'll meet you there."

* * *

Sara was waiting for him when he arrived, almost lounging by the hastily-built shelter. Vetra and Drack flanked her, the three of them still in a way he'd learned only really dangerous fighters could be.

She spotted him and her lips curved into an appealing smile. "Thought I'd wait to go in until you got here. Your client paid for secrecy, after all."

Reyes nodded. "I appreciate that."

He overrode the door's security without any fanfare, and they stepped through. Reyes kept a hand on his sidearm as his eyes adjusted to the dark, but the room was almost completely empty.

"Shit," he swore, kicking at an overturned crate. "We got here too late."

Sara's eyes, however, tracked to the second level. "We're not too late. This was a setup."

"You don't mean...there was never any cargo." Reyes gritted his teeth. "Fuck."

"You really are going soft, darling," purred a familiar voice. He turned to see Zia step out of the shadows on the balcony above. "But your little toy there figured it out. Too bad, Vidal. You could never resist a pile of credits."

"What can I say, Zia?" Reyes shrugged. "I'm a greedy man. But you leave her alone."

Zia laughed, but the sound was devoid of any sort of humor. "You must really like this one."

Sara, meanwhile, looked dangerously relaxed. "Reyes is a better man than you think."

"Oh, honey, you have no idea how wrong you are. I'm almost sorry for you. Reyes here is too selfish. That's why he only has contacts, not friends."

"Cut the bullshit, Zia," Reyes snapped. "What do you want?"

She trained her shotgun on him, smiling too sweetly. "You've been taking the best jobs in Kadara. It's gotten more than my attention."

"So, what, the local smuggler's union decided to band together and take me out?"

"Something like that. Move in!"

Before Zia could finish speaking, Sara unleashed a wave of energy that staggered her and left her immobile for several seconds. Vetra and Drack, who appeared to have been waiting for her cue, both pulled weapons and took cover, leaving Reyes still slightly surprised and scrambling to keep up.

He didn't waste any time in drawing his own weapon and shooting Zia in the chest. From there, he kept an eye out for stragglers as Sara charged through the hideout, lacing tech and firepower together in a deadly but beautiful dance.

While they were outnumbered, Zia's crew clearly hadn't reckoned on Sara. One lone mercenary escaped, and she watched him go with evident satisfaction.

"They're out for your blood, Reyes," she said softly. It was a sharp contrast to the vicious fight she'd just finished. "You should be careful."

"Don't worry about me, Sara. I know they're coming now. They won't get the drop on me again."

Vetra spoke up. "Pathfinder, we need to leave now if we're going to follow that lead on the Archon's ship."

Sara's brow creased in frustration. "Damnit. I'm sorry, we can't stay."

Reyes nodded. "Before you go, I found something I think you'll like." He pulled the Carnifex from inside his jacket and offered it to Sara. "As a thanks for your help."

Drack grunted. Vetra hummed. Sara, however, accepted it reverently. "It's stolen, isn't it?"

"At least twice." He was surprised when Sara flung her arms around him in a brief hug.

"Thank you. I love it."

"Easy, Sara. Between that and the way you stood up for me, I might start to think you like me."

She stepped back, her dark eyes a challenge. "Would that be so bad?"

For once, Reyes Vidal had no words.

* * *

"I think he really likes you."

Vetra, Drack, and Sara were back on the Tempest, each attending to armor repairs and weapon cleaning in the armory.

Drack grunted in agreement. "Nobody just steals a gun like that."

Sara focused on installing her favorite scope. When she spoke, it was in a carefully measured tone. "You two are nearly as bad as Peebee."

Vetra and Drack exchanged a look, and Drack grunted again before leaving.

"Pathfinder, maybe it's not my place to say this, but it really does seem like Vidal cares a lot about you." The concern in Vetra's voice was evident, and Sara set her new weapon down gently.

"We've been writing to each other," Sara admitted. "I guess I really enjoyed talking to someone who trusted me. Someone who wasn't a member of my crew."

Vetra nodded. "I can understand that. You need someone to just be your friend."

Sara gazed thoughtfully at the weapons bench. "Maybe I need more than that."

"Well, if you ever want to talk about it, you know where to find me. Just make sure he knows to treat you well, although if you ask me it looks like he's off to a pretty good start."


	7. Chapter 7

Dying _hurt_.

Sara hadn't realized it the first time it happened, but the second time, she had made the conscious choice to let SAM stop her heart. She knew what was coming, she knew there was a chance she wouldn't come back. Jaal and Vetra had attempted to dissuade her, but Sara could see that the only way out was through. She was willing to fling herself into the breach if it meant saving her team. If it meant saving the salarian ark. If it meant saving the Initiative.

And so she ordered SAM to do it, to stop her heart and cease all neural functions. But she wasn't prepared for the sheer agony of it. As pain crawled over her limbs and her vision went black, as she gasped for breath and tried to block out the shrieking in her ears, she was terrified.

Then nothing.

* * *

She was on the floor, SAM's voice oddly distant. Jaal and Vetra, she thought. Were they okay? Were they still trapped?

Her vision was blurred, and her arms and legs weren't responding as quickly as they should have been.

"Shit," Vetra breathed. "She's alive."

"Stars guide her way," Jaal murmured.

Sara sat up slowly, the room falling into focus. "How long was I out?"

"You were dead for nearly half a minute, Pathfinder," SAM informed her. "I was able to restart your heart, but you will want to be careful until we are sure you will suffer no lasting effects."

"Screw careful," Sara snarled. "That Archon bastard is going to _pay_ for what he's done." She hauled herself to her feet, leaning heavily on the stock of her assault rifle as she did so. Ignoring the cramps in her legs, she rushed to the nearby console. "SAM, we need to get Jaal and Vetra free."

"A moment while I override the security protocols, Pathfinder."

She didn't have the patience, and paced back and forth between her two companions as she waited. As SAM broke through the encryptions, she grabbed Jaal's arm and helped him find his balance before she turned to Vetra.

The turian, though, landed nimbly and pulled her shotgun. "We'll talk about this later, Ryder," she warned. "But for now we've got a job to finish."

* * *

Sara's anger only built as they stole through the ship. The kett had been torturing salarians, cutting them open and dissecting them while they were still alive. She had retrieved the map of Meridian but what was a map compared to the lives they'd lost?

She didn't realize she had been building a charge of energy until they came upon a knot of kett attacking some krogan scouts. Before she was wholly aware of what she was doing, she unleashed a pair of fireballs that smacked into an Anointed, forcing it away from a fallen scout in blue armor. She then sent a jolt of electricity through the kett, causing the Anointed to explode and litter the ground with shards of bone and ash.

Sara was almost screaming in rage by the time the skirmish was over and a quick, nervous voice came over her comm.

" _Pathfinder Ryder, this is Pathfinder Raeka. I'm pinned down near the exaltation labs. I'm not sure I can get out."_

"Raeka, I've got wounded krogan here. I have to get them to safety, but I promise I will come back for you."

" _Of course, Pathfinder. I'll hold the line as long as I can. Get the wounded out."_

* * *

She hadn't been fast enough. She'd only just been able to see the Ascendant cut Raeka down before Vetra and Jaal had managed to stop her. She'd have thrown herself bodily on the kett, fought them with her bare hands if she'd needed to.

"We have to go, Ryder! We have less than two minutes until the charges blow!"

Someone was screaming, maybe it was her, she was struggling to tear free and run back to at least retrieve Raeka's body. Jaal had her arms pinned to her body, he was shouting in her ear.

"Pathfinder, you must not do this! You must leave before the kett kill you as well!"

They were aboard the Paarchero, the charges detonated. She half staggered back to the Tempest, supported by Vetra and Jaal. She couldn't think, couldn't speak, could only hear Raeka's voice tearing out as she died.

Sara was only dimly aware of Vetra ordering Kallo to escort the Paarchero to the Nexus, then of being taken down to the medical bay. She felt a needle, and for the second time that day, felt nothing at all.

* * *

Sara opened her eyes to the harsh light of the medical bay. A needle pierced her elbow, and a monitor was attached to her left hand. Lexi stood above her, holding a datapad and deep in thought. "I made it back again, huh?"

The normally stiff doctor sagged visibly. "Yes. Ms. Nyx is concerned that you allowed your SAM to kill you." Sara tried to sit up, but Lexi stopped her. "I'm afraid you'll have to stay down until I can be sure your vitals are steady. You were in a dissociative state when you came back and had to be sedated. In the meantime, I need to ask you some questions."

Sara put her head back down on the thin pillow. "Yes, SAM pointed out that the way out was for him to kill me. Can I get some water?"

Lexi handed her a bottle with a straw. "And you consented to that?"

"It was the only way." Sara drained half the bottle. "We were figuratively helpless. It was either die at the hands of the kett, or die trying to get out. I chose to try."

"I see." Lexi made a few swipes at the datapad. "Jaal says you were quite upset."

"They were torturing the salarians. Experimenting on them." Sara's voice was raw. "They were alive, Lexi. They felt everything."

Lexi hissed. "Goddess. Of course you were angry." She turned down the lights. "Stay put, Pathfinder. Try to sleep if you can. I'll be back with something for you to eat."

Sara didn't argue. She was still exhausted from whatever sedative she'd been given. She drifted in and out of a doze until Lexi's footsteps sounded again. The doctor set a mug on her work desk before picking up her datapad again. "Okay, Pathfinder, sit up. I'm just going to check you over quickly and then you can have the soup Jaal made."

She dutifully followed the light, stuck out her tongue, and breathed deeply. "Jaal made soup?"

"I think it's mostly nutrient paste with some angaran herbs. Suvi said it needed dumplings but was otherwise safe to eat."

"Jaal must have liked that." Sara sampled the broth (not bad). She was suddenly ravenous, and the soup did a little to ease the emptiness she felt.

"Last I saw, he was on the bridge asking Suvi what dumplings were."

* * *

"As requested, Vidal, you're on the list for Sloane's little get-together," Keema announced as she walked into the back room of Tartarus.

Reyes looked up from his datapad. "I didn't ask."

Keema made herself comfortable. "Ah, but now you can ask the Pathfinder."

"I'm not going to call her up and ask her to a party with you lurking in the room." Reyes motioned toward the door.

The angaran grumbled as she stood. "Just be sure you don't waste this chance."

As the door slid shut behind Keema, Reyes grinned to himself. A party would be enjoyable, but he could see an opportunity when it presented itself.

Dialing the Tempest on his omnitool, he sat back and waited for Sara's response. It took less time than he'd expected before Sara came up on the vidscreen, looking slightly unsteady and clutching a mug.

" _To what do I owe this pleasure, Reyes?"_ Sara asked, only slightly suspicious.

"I've been thinking about you all day, Sara." He put a faint stress on her name, hoping she was alone.

Damn his luck. Someone else (a woman, he thought) cleared their throat, and Sara gave him a conspiratorial smile. " _I'd love to hear more, but this isn't a private channel."_

"Then I'll just go straight to business. Sloane Kelly is having something of a gathering tomorrow night. I was hoping you'd want to be my plus-one."

" _Are you asking me on a date?"_ She clasped her hands behind her, rocking on the sides of her feet.

"I'll be a perfect gentleman," he assured her.

" _Oh, I'm not sure that will be necessary. But it sounds like fun, and I never say no to free drinks."_

"Especially not from Sloane's reserve. I'll meet you outside Outcast headquarters." He disconnected the call and only narrowly avoided bursting into triumphant laughter.

* * *

"Are you sure that a party in Kadara Port is the best idea, Pathfinder?" Lexi's mouth twisted in concern.

"I'll be fine," Sara said. "I don't plan on antagonizing Sloane Kelly, and no one else will be allowed to have a gun. And if it makes you feel any better, I promise not to drink anything that contains ryncol."

Lexi sighed. "Take it easy until then. Maybe try a little yoga tonight, if anything. And no arm wrestling turians when you get there, I just set Liam's shoulder after he dislocated it."

* * *

Reyes watched as Sara tried to bluff her way past the guard at Sloane's door. She might have been the Pathfinder, but she very clearly wasn't used to employing intimidation to get her way. Probably for the best, Reyes thought.

Before the guard could get too annoyed, he stepped in, putting an arm around Sara's shoulders. "She's with me. Reyes Vidal."

The guard snorted. "Go on in. Don't cause any more trouble."

Sara leaned against him for a moment before looking around uncertainly. "After you."

Reyes led the way into Sloane's throne room, where he was promptly accosted by Keema. "Reyes Vidal. You finally showed up! I was beginning to think you wouldn't show."

"Of course I came. I just had to be fashionably late." He gestured to Sara. "Keema, this is my friend Sara Ryder."

Keema took the bait and ran with it. "The Pathfinder, of course. I was hoping he'd bring you along, you're all he talks about lately."

Sara's smile was a dangerous thing. "Is that so?" She offered a hand, which Keema shook.

"Keema Dohrgun. A pleasure to meet you, Sara."

Reyes coughed. "Excuse me for a moment. There is some business I need to attend to."

"Do you ditch all your dates in the first five minutes, or am I special?" Sara's voice was heavy with sarcasm.

"I'll make it up to you, I promise."

* * *

His survey of the headquarters security complete (tight, but not impenetrable), Reyes let himself into a storeroom on the first floor. He referenced an intercepted message on his omnitool, then began methodically searching crates.

"Shit," he muttered. "Why can't the serial numbers all be in the same place?" He peered inside the second to last crate. Nothing.

He'd been so engrossed in his search, he hadn't heard the doors open. But he did hear Sara.

"I should have known you were up to something."

"I'm not up to anything! Okay, I'm up to something, but I promise, it's for both our benefits." He gave her his most innocent smile, which apparently did not fool Sara.

"You've been making an awful lot of promises…"

He spotted movement through the open door behind her. "Someone's coming!" he whispered. "Quick, we need a distraction."

Sara didn't hesitate. She grabbed the front of his jacket and pulled him to her, her lips insistently seeking his. Reyes was too surprised to be aware of what he was doing, but by the time she stopped for breath his arms had circled her waist.

He lifted his head. "I think we're safe."

Sara didn't move. "Maybe another kiss, just to be sure?" Her voice was smoky, pitched low. Her eyes were still fixed on his mouth.

"Now you're just teasing me." He chuckled to cover his ragged breath and climbed onto a crate to open the last box. "Here we go." He drew out a silver bottle and leapt down lightly.

"This was about whiskey?" Sara hissed.

"This is triple-distilled Mount Milgrom. Nearly six hundred and fifty years old. The only bottle in Heleus. It isn't just whiskey, it's priceless. Come on." Reyes grabbed her hand.

A surprised laugh bubbled out of her as she ran with him and he marveled at the sound. "You'd better be willing to share!"

* * *

An hour later, Reyes and Sara sat atop one of the roofs of Kadara Port, passing the bottle back and forth.

"It's beautiful," she said quietly, gazing at the neon lights in dusk.

"I forget that sometimes," Reyes agreed. "It's too easy to get caught up in the struggle to survive here. Has Andromeda been what you hoped, Sara?"

She fell silent, something weighing heavily on her. "It's been rough. I...there's no easy way to say this." She swung her legs around so that she was sitting by his side, rather than back to back. "I was technically dead for about twenty seconds. Twice. The last was two days ago. I chose to do it, I did it to escape a trap...but I wasn't sure I'd come back."

He turned to look at her. Her profile was carved in stone, but he could see tears glittering on her eyelashes. "But you did come back." He took her hand gently. "And I'm glad you did. You're a bright spot in this mess, Sara."

She looked at her feet dangling from the roof, trying to hide the tears that fell. "What about you, Reyes? Why did you come here?"

He took a deep breath. "To be somebody."

Sara lifted her face to him, a steady light burning in her eyes. "You're somebody to me."

Reyes cupped her face in both hands. "I'm starting to think you meant that kiss to be something more."

He bent to her as she curved to him, all light and warmth. Their lips met again and again, Reyes hoping that she could feel the words he couldn't say to her.

He didn't know how long they sat there, silently holding each other. But he finally broke the spell. "Always come back to me, Sara."

"Always be here for me, Reyes."


	8. Chapter 8

_Last night was wonderful. Thank you._

Reyes didn't know why she was thanking him. If anything, he felt he ought to be thanking her. The next morning had dawned, and while Sara had left to continue her work, he couldn't keep himself from smiling.

He recalled the taste of whiskey on her lips, the freckle on the bridge of her nose, the soft sound from the back of her throat as he kissed her good night at the Tempest. Sara had been coiled tighter than a spring, but had held back. He couldn't blame her, and resolved to follow her lead. All the same, Reyes decided that he would stay home for the day and examine some intelligence reports. In his current distracted state, field work wasn't the best idea.

Six hours later, he leaned back in his chair, satisfied with the state of Kadara. Oblivion sales were down, unrest in the streets was growing, and Sloane Kelly had ordered everyone but Kaetus and a few lackeys to stay away from Outcast HQ. It was very nearly time.

But Sloane needed to stew for a few days longer. Reyes sent word to his strike teams to be ready to move at a moment's notice. Meanwhile, he needed to get somewhere that he would be seen.

* * *

Keema was waiting for him at Tartarus, struggling to maintain her normally placid expression. Reyes signaled to Kian (the usual) and braced himself as he unlocked the back room.

"Have you told her?" Keema demanded. Reyes shook his head. "What were you thinking?"

"It's more complicated than that, Keema."

"Before last night, no. It is now that one of Sloane's guards saw you making out with the Pathfinder at headquarters last night." Reyes couldn't tell if she was pleased or disapproving. "I see you've managed to tell her how you feel."

He groaned and flopped into a chair. "She kissed me as a cover. Bought us some time." He wished he'd asked Kian to just leave a bottle.

"I'd believe that if someone hadn't spotted you kissing her again at the docks." Keema apparently wasn't going to let up.

"So all of Kadara Port is going to know I went on a date with Sara." He dropped his head into his hands. "And that will be it if I tell her. You know what she is, Keema. Once I tell her who I am, it's all over between us."

"It will be if you keep waiting to tell her, you idiot," Keema retorted. "I think you're underestimating her. She's probably had to make some hard choices. She'll understand better than you think."

"Making a hard choice isn't the same as running a city full of exiles." Reyes sighed. "And it isn't just that. We talked over drinks, and she told me some things...some things that made me hesitate to put any more weight on her."

Keema shot him a look that said she didn't believe or understand him.

"She probably wouldn't want me talking about it. I know I have to tell her...but it has to be the right way. Now isn't the time for doubts, Kee. We'll move within a week. Once the dust settles...I'll let her know."

"Sooner is better, friend. She's going to find out one way or another."

* * *

Sara blinked in the sudden shadow of New Tuchanka. Elaaden might have cooled since activating the vault, but the sun was still too damned bright. Or maybe she was slightly hungover. "When you said you had something important to discuss, Drack, I didn't think you meant plants."

"They're the key to our survival. Even if that botanist who got himself captured has no survival instincts, he's our best shot at growing enough food to feed our kids." The krogan closed his eyes for a moment. "Doesn't make me miss varren steak any less."

Liam nodded his agreement. "Don't get me wrong, the fresh vegetables from the Nexus hydroponics have been great, but I'd do unholy things for even a pot roast right now."

"I hear you, Liam. But before we all start drooling about our favorite foods, let's go rescue a botanist and some seeds." Sara led the way back to the Tempest, quickly keying the navpoints to Kallo.

* * *

" _If I don't make it, please give Kesh my love."_

The words echoed like a biotic explosion, although Liam didn't seem to notice. Drack certainly did. "I'm going to find him, and then I'm going to KILL him!"

"Easy, Drack!" Sara squinted ahead, surveying the smuggler camp. "Hold on, Vorn. We're coming to get you."

" _I said 'love,' didn't I?"_

"Yes, you did." Sara's thoughts whirled, and she swallowed hard. There will be time to think about what all that means later, she told herself sternly. Right now, Drack needs you. "Drack, Liam, hold here and keep position. I'm going to scout ahead and see what's between us and Vorn's cargo container. SAM, activate Infiltrator protocol."

She broke into a near-silent run, darting from one shadow to the next. The active camo on her armor shimmered briefly as she melted into the relative darkness, a sensation that still didn't sit well with her. Sara preferred explosions and bullets to sneaking. Much more straightforward, even if they were a little messier.

Luckily, only a handful of sentries stood between her and the krogan botanist, and she winced only slightly as she struck each one down with her omniblade. Two others were posted guard at the container where Vorn had said he was. Sara retreated slightly and activated the comm. "Drack, Liam, we're mostly clear. Two outlaws up here at the container. I don't think I'll be able to take both down quietly. Follow SAM, he'll show you the way."

As she waited, she switched back to her usual Engineer profile, her omnitool humming with the extra power her technician abilities granted her. She didn't sit still long before Liam and Drack caught up, and she motioned for Liam to take up position behind her. When she nodded, Drack opened the door, and Sara released the charge she'd been holding, stripping away the shields of both guards.

Sara ducked to the right and threw a fireball, Liam's shotgun roared. They each rushed in before the guards recovered, and within seconds both outlaws were on the ground. She raised her hand to override the lock on the cargo container, but Drack simply headbutted the door and the young krogan botanist tumbled out and forward onto his face. "Hi, guys."

* * *

She didn't regret leaving Aroane alive. If nothing else, he was needed to bring down Spencer. The seed vault was safely back on Elaaden, Vorn along with it. Sara suspected Drack was disappointed that he didn't get to drop the outlaw, but he'd invited her to Kralla's Song for a drink anyway. It wasn't really his fault that a quick drink had devolved into an all-out bar fight, but at least she'd worked off some of the nervous energy she felt upon coming back to Kadara.

It had only been three days since the party, and Sara was more than a little excited at the idea of seeing Reyes again so soon. He had been (mostly) a gentleman, but she almost wished he hadn't. As she rode the lift down to the slums, she remembered all too vividly how his hands had felt on the small of her back. Her cheeks burned, recalling how she'd pressed against him on the rooftop. Had she been too forward?

She almost didn't care, only the smallest shred of pride twinged at her. She knew she was falling hard for Reyes Vidal, and she needed to know if he felt the same way about her.

The salarian bartender nodded to her as she crossed the upper floor of Tartarus. "He's in," Kian called. Sara paused only briefly to smile her thanks, then tapped at the door.

"Come in," Reyes answered, his voice sounding cheerful if a little distracted.

Sara hesitated at the door. There was an empty glass in front of him as well as several datapads. "Conducting important business? I can leave if it's not a good time."

"For you, there's always time." Reyes' face broke into a broad smile as she settled next to him on the couch. He swept aside the datapads and pulled her into a hug, his lips brushing her hair. Sara let out a contented sigh and leaned on his shoulder.

"I can't stay long. Vetra's finishing up...some kind of procurement, I didn't ask too many questions. And I definitely ought to be out of here by the time Umi realizes that Drack and I are the ones who knocked out half her clientele." She realized she was almost babbling, and reached up to plant a kiss on the corner of his mouth. "Just couldn't resist the opportunity to see you, Reyes."

"You and Drack did what, exactly?" He brushed her bangs away from her eyes and mock-frowned at her. "Causing trouble in bars isn't exactly the sort of behavior one expects from the Pathfinder."

She smiled bitterly. "That's the thing. I'm the Pathfinder no matter where I go. Makes me almost miss the days when I was just Alec Ryder's daughter." She tried to keep her tone light, but Reyes must have heard the heaviness behind it.

He took her hands and gazed directly into her eyes. "With me, you're Sara. Nothing more...and certainly nothing less." His lips grazed hers, a gentleness in the touch that surprised her. "Don't ever feel like you have to be someone else for my sake."

She closed her eyes and nestled against him as best she could in her armor. "You have no idea what that means to me."

His fingers brushed along her jaw as he dropped a few light kisses on the top of her head. "I care about you, Sara. Not the Pathfinder. Never forget that."

"I...I care about you too, Reyes." She let out a shuddering breath. "Can I just stay here with you for a while?"

* * *

Sara had left again. She might have let her guard down with him, but Reyes knew there was a purpose to her, that she had a drive to do everything she could as Pathfinder to make Heleus a safe place for the Initiative. That burning determination might have spurred her as Pathfinder, but it was all Sara, and he admired that.

He would do everything he could to ease her way, even if it meant working in the shadows, if it meant keeping secrets. He hoped to make her understand, someday. The message on his omnitool flashed. _Kaetus alone in Kadara market._

Reyes tapped out just three characters, copied to two strike teams, heavily encrypted and virtually untraceable.

 _Go._


	9. Chapter 9

Sara drifted slowly through her usual yoga routine, relishing the pulls and stretches. The Tempest was orbiting Kadara, waiting for Suvi and Gil to cobble together an origin point on the ZK trackers. She leaned backward, then raised her arms over her head, breathing deeply. Unbidden, an image of Reyes sprang into her mind, his amber eyes half-closed and content as he'd held her in the back room of Tartarus.

Her breath caught in her throat and she released the pose, sinking down onto the floor of the cargo bay. Sara didn't know if she was going to laugh, cry, or lock herself in her quarters. She had found some small measure of peace, and damn it, she wanted more. The outpost on Elaaden was finally taking off, Eos and Voeld were thriving, and she wanted a break.

What she got, though, was SAM's voice. "Pathfinder, you have a new communication from Kadara." Just as quickly as she'd abandoned her yoga, a spike of adrenaline, or maybe fear, shot through her. "The message is rather uniquely encrypted, but it appears to be from Sloane Kelly."

That wasn't exactly reassuring, but she doubted Sloane would be the one sending a message if something had happened to Reyes. Sara stowed her mat, slipped on her shoes, and brought up her email at the research station terminal.

 _Ryder, I need your help. Come to Outcast HQ, but don't bring your team. - SK_

Was this it? Sara screwed up her mouth in thought. She had more or less steered clear of Sloane since the incident with Terev, but she supposed no good deed went unpunished. True to his word, Reyes must have spread the news that Sara had been taking care of Kadara's problems. Maybe Sloane was finally willing to talk deal. For a price, of course.

Sara poked her head into the armory. "Hi, Vetra. We're heading back down to Kadara, and I need someone who'll blend in around the marketplace."

"If you need someone to keep watch while you and Vidal hook up, he is clearly not the smuggler I thought he was." Vetra laughed quietly, but stopped herself when she saw the look on Sara's face. "Sorry. Cora's a little bit of a gossip…" Sara continued to glare. "Okay, not the time."

* * *

Sloane Kelly looked like she'd been hit by a kett warship. Her mismatched eyes were sunken, her skin dull. "Fucking finally." The few times Sara had spoken to her previously, her voice had been a whipcrack of authority. Today, it was a ghost.

"Where's your crew?" Sara didn't feel much like gloating, even if she despised Sloane.

"I told them all to get out of my sight." The crime boss spat on the floor, then slumped over her knees.

"Even Kaetus?"

Sloane crumbled at the words. "Kaetus was attacked."

"I'm sorry, Sloane...I know you were close." Sara took a step closer, almost offering a hand to the other woman.

"You don't know shit," Sloane growled, flinging the words at her like shards of broken glass. "He's alive. Barely. The Charlatan used my people to beat him within an inch of his life. I'll kill that fucker with my bare hands."

"Do you know who it is?"

"The Charlatan left a note on Kaetus' body. Said they wanted to settle things. Meet's in Draullir, an hour from now."

"Sounds like it could be a trap," Sara said as neutrally as she could.

"You think? I can't trust any of my people. But you. You're an outsider, you've got no stake in this. I need someone to watch my back, and you're it." The desperation in Sloane's voice was clear.

Much as she wanted to, Sara couldn't say no. "I'll go with you."

"Get your weapons. I'll meet you there."

* * *

Everything was in position. Reyes waited in the Draullir cave, resisting the urge to tap his foot. He'd worked for too long to eliminate any tell, any sign that he might not be as in control as he pretended to be. It was nearly time for the meet, and he knew Sloane wouldn't be able to resist the chance to finally confront the Charlatan.

Without Kaetus, Sloane was too impulsive, too angry, too prone to rash decisions prompted by greed. He'd dangled his identity as bait, taken away her balance, and he knew he had her. The sniper was all but invisible, and Reyes himself waited in a patch of shadow. The shuttle pilot had instructions to wait until five minutes past one, then to fire up the thrusters. There was a safe house near Kurinth's Valley, ready in case everything went sideways. Some would have said he over-prepared, but in Reyes' experience, there was no such thing.

He heard footsteps, and a harsh woman's voice. Then a brisk, businesslike answer, and a sinking feeling in his gut.

Sloane Kelly stepped into the lone ray of light that sifted through the rock and paused, sweeping the cavern for any signs of life.

"You look like you're waiting for someone," he said, taking a few paces forward.

The bottom dropped out of his world. Sara, who had left Kadara the previous night, emerged from the darkness behind Sloane.

"Reyes?" Her face, normally pale, went white as chalk. "What are you doing here?"

Sloane sneered. "I came here for the Charlatan, not some third-rate smuggler."

Sara swayed on her feet, her voice like chips of ice. "They're one and the same."

He didn't want to see the realizations come over her, so he focused on Sloane. "Surprise."

"All this time, you were lying to me." He could hear the brittle quality in the words, could see the two bright spots of color flare to life on her cheeks. Her eyes were wide with betrayal.

"Sara, I didn't lie to you about everything. You know who I really am." The words sounded hollow even to him, but before he could say anything more, Sloane interrupted.

"You said you wanted to settle things. How?"

Reyes projected a confidence he couldn't feel. "A duel, you and me. Winner takes Kadara Port."

Sara's eyes narrowed. "You want to settle this by shooting each other?"

"Better one death than hundreds."

Sloane smirked, the usual smugness back in her voice. "I'll take those terms."

Reyes nodded once, then led to his left. He knew Sloane would follow him, confident in her skill with a pistol. Sure enough, she moved opposite him, unknowingly drawing the line of fire away from Sara. He permitted himself the space of one breath, then saw Sara's eyes track to the sniper, just as she'd spotted the setup with Zia.

A single shot rang out, and the self-proclaimed Queen of Kadara fell to the dirty stone floor, her last expression one of mingled pain and confusion.

Sara had hesitated. In everything else he'd seen her do, Sara had never hesitated. What that would mean for him, he didn't know.

"Get the body out of here. Prepare the teams. Kadara Port is ours tonight," he commanded, turning his back on Sloane's corpse and taking refuge in his plans. He heard Sara's footsteps behind him.

"I guess you got everything you wanted."

He had steeled himself for anger, bitterness, grief. The utter lack of life in Sara's voice cut deeper than any of those, and when he spoke, he hated the emptiness of his own voice. "What I want is peace. Sloane would have brought war to Heleus, and we don't have the population to survive that. I only did what I had to do."

They had reached the mouth of the cave, where Vetra stood waiting. He didn't see the look that passed between them, but he heard Sara order Vetra back to the Nomad. An awful silence fell as the turian retreated.

"Why didn't you trust me?"

He turned to face her, close enough to touch but held back by fear. He had always prided himself on his implacability, but everything about him was broken by that single question. There was nothing for him but to be honest with her. "I liked the way you looked at me. I was afraid that would change."

For a brief moment, he saw the steady light in her eyes, chased by doubt and confusion and pain.

"I'm sorry, Sara. I didn't mean for you to find out like this." He stepped closer to her, but she remained rooted to the spot.

"So this is why you were so clear that you cared about Sara, not the Pathfinder." She seemed to be speaking to herself. "You wanted me to see Reyes, not the Charlatan."

"That doesn't make it any less true. I do care about you, Sara." He placed his hands tentatively on her upper arms.

Her eyes dropped. "I don't know if this changes anything."

"Nothing has changed for me," he promised her, resisting the urge to wrap her in his arms. He couldn't bear to think that she might turn away. "You know everything now. No secrets. I still want you, Sara. Do you still want me?"

"I don't know," she repeated, and walked away without another word.

All the light in the world went with her.


	10. Chapter 10

_Sara, I'm sorry. I know I should have told you. I didn't know what you'd think, and I wanted to hold on to you as long as I could. You made everything better...you made me better. Please come back to me._

 _Thinking of you always._

* * *

Sara gunned the engine of the Nomad, accelerating over a crater on what should have been the turian homeworld. Normally the speed and air would have brought a smile to her face, but since she'd left Reyes in that fucking cave on Kadara she'd felt nothing but anger and shame.

She had wanted so desperately to be with someone that she was willing to overlook a shady past. She should have known better. Reyes was a smuggler, a criminal, an exile. It didn't matter that she'd felt more like herself with him than she had since coming to Andromeda, he'd lied to her about who he was. She wouldn't make that mistake again.

In the passenger seat, Vetra gripped the armrest in terror. "Ryder! Slow down before you kill us all!"

Sara ignored her, continuing toward the force dome that housed what she thought might be a mining station. She pulled into the airlock, unbuckling her seatbelt and leaping from the vehicle. Vetra and Liam followed her as she ran straight toward the exiles' camp, assault rifle drawn and tech powers crackling.

Cold fury pushed her onward, through broken shields and the sharp impacts of bullets on her armor. Lexi had given up cautioning her to be careful. The doctor knew a lost cause when she saw one.

She stood in the main lab of the mining camp, dirt-streaked and sweaty. No sign of the kidnapped settlers, just another fragment of code. She swore sharply and turned away from the console, bringing her face to face with Liam.

"Pathfinder, I never thought I'd be the one to say this, but you have got to get control of yourself." He reloaded his shotgun and looked directly at her for the first time in days. "Maybe you don't care if you die, but there are people out there who are counting on you."

"Do you think I don't know that?" she all but shouted, pushing past him and back to the airlock. "My problem is that I can't _forget_ it!"

"Ryder!" Vetra's voice was sharp with worry. "You have to stop punishing yourself. You have to talk to someone. Maybe not us, but right now we're the best you've got."

Sara took a deep breath. "You're right. I'm sorry. None of this is your fault, either of you. I'm just…"

"Angry?" supplied Vetra.

"More ashamed." Sara's face crumpled. "Come on. We've got settlers to rescue, thanks to your sister."

Liam and Vetra glanced at each other, then followed her to the Nomad. "She is not getting away with this," Liam muttered. Vetra grunted in agreement.

* * *

Reyes knew she'd seen the email. A week had passed and still no word. He tried not to think too hard about it, and there was certainly plenty to distract him. If he wasn't stamping out pockets of Outcasts who were trying desperately to hold on, there were any number of men and women who were more than happy to flirt with one of the Charlatan's lieutenants. Power was attractive, after all.

He'd insisted on the extra layer of deception. Keema was a better face for Kadara than he could ever hope to be, and her presence reassured the angara that the Charlatan was looking out for them. As one of her advisors, no one questioned him when he came and went at his leisure. He still received all the reports. And most importantly, he could keep his room at Tartarus, rather than spending all his days on a dead woman's throne.

He still had to put in appearances, and so he found himself at a corner table, staring down a rather too friendly mercenary. The merc's eyes were lighter than Sara's, and his voice didn't carry the same musical quality. Reyes dismissed him with a few curt words, then noticed Keema's look of displeasure.

He downed the rest of his drink (an unremarkable gin something, not that he cared much these days) and made his way over to her.

"You look positively miserable to be here, Reyes."

Trust her not to mince words, he thought sourly. "Someone has to keep a weather eye."

"You're not keeping a weather eye, you're moping."

"I'm not moping," he snapped. "The woman I love is only god knows where, getting shot at by god knows what." Reyes realized what he'd just said. "Fuck. Don't start, Keema. She's gone and I don't think she's ever coming back."

Keema's expression softened. "You were patient for a year before anything happened here. I recommend you stay patient a little while longer."

* * *

"If my sister sent us on a wild-adhi chase, I swear I am going to drill her shin plates," Vetra grumbled.

Liam rubbed one foot behind his calf. "I don't know exactly how that works with turian anatomy, but it sounds painful."

"Not the time, Liam." Sara checked her spare magazines, then led the way into the abandoned complex. "Eyes sharp, everyone. This place is giving me the creeps."

No sooner had she said that than she heard a slow rumbling beneath her and the floor gave way. Sara tried to leap to safety, but without the floor to push off, only succeeded in flopping sideways and landing on Liam.

"Ow," he complained. "What the hell was that?"

"It was a trap," Vetra snapped, scrambling to her feet and looking up at the ceiling that had snapped shut over them. "We've got to find a way out of here."

" _Don't waste your time, Vetra Nyx. That goes double for you, Pathfinder."_

Vetra's head swiveled, looking for the source of the voice. "Who the fuck are you? And why did you kidnap a bunch of innocent settlers?"

" _Innocent? Hardly. You stole these people from me, Nyx. I'm going to make you regret it."_

Sara raised an eyebrow. "I'm going to guess whoever this whackjob is has you confused with someone else, Vetra."

The turian shook her head. "I'm as lost as you, Pathfinder."

"It's okay, Vetra. You don't have to cover for us." A handful of settlers walked into the room, looking pale but otherwise healthy.

"Cover for you?" Vetra's hands twitched toward her shotgun. "I don't know who any of you are."

The man in coveralls turned to Sara. "I'm Thad Galloway. It's an honor to meet you, Pathfinder...even like this. That woman, her name is Meriweather. She ran a smuggling ring on Kadara. Vetra helped us escape, find new places in the outposts." Sara could only blink in surprise.

"I didn't do anything!" Vetra stalked over to the door and began to examine it. "I have no idea who you people are, or why the hell this Meriweather has it in for me. All I know right now is that I want to get out of here."

"Can't argue with that." Sara shrugged and brought up her scanner. "Looks like the power to these doors has been cut. I can probably find a way to reroute power and at least get us moving." She sorted through a pile of conduits, finding one that was relatively undamaged. "This should help. Hang on, everyone, it might get dark in here for a few minutes while I tap into the lights."

Liam pulled out his flashlight. "Everyone get behind me. Ryder's good with zappy things, but let's just be safe."

" _When you restore power, Pathfinder, I can override the security on the door."_

"Sidera Nyx!" Vetra growled. "You're supposed to be safe on the Nexus, not this rock."

 _"Relax, Vetra. I'm patched in from outside and my shuttle is well hidden. Trust me, I'll be fine."_

Vetra muttered something Sara didn't quite hear, but sounded an awful lot like an unlikely vorcha anatomical configuration. "You do this smart. Get in, crack the security, and get out. I don't want them tracing you."

* * *

As they fought their way through the underground complex, Sara wisely refrained from mentioning how lucky they were that Sid had tagged along. Between the exploding generator and the deactivated mech, Vetra's sister had saved them a lot of trouble.

Only the workshop and hangar bay stood between them and the exit. Sara tapped the console next to the door when an uneasy thought began to nag at her. "Sid hasn't contacted us in a while, Vetra."

"Oh, shit," Liam breathed.

"Sid? Sidera Nyx!" Vetra shouted.

 _"Vetra…"_ Sid sounded scared. Like a kid, Sara realized. Sid wasn't even eighteen yet. _"Vetra, I think someone found my shuttle."_

"Stay quiet, Sid, and don't move. We're coming." Vetra didn't wait to see what was on the other side, and rushed through the door. Sara followed, noting that she was down to one spare magazine for her Avenger. She'd have to make every bullet count.

* * *

Meriweather had Sid. They'd fought past a dozen outlaws and a fiend, but it all came down to a hand grenade, Sara's empty assault rifle, and a teenage turian held hostage.

The outlaw leader held Sid in front of her, arm twisted back to keep her from running. Sid must have been in pain but her face didn't betray her. She looked almost exactly like Vetra, terrified but defiant.

"Put your weapons down," Meriweather ordered. Vetra laid down her shotgun, and Liam followed suit. Sara, however, watched Sid's eyes flit to the Carnifex on her hip, then saw her nod decidedly. Sara didn't waste any time.

She drew the pistol and put a bullet through Meriweather's shoulder, who shrieked and dropped both the grenade and Sid. Vetra darted forward quicker than thought, grabbed the grenade, and flung it into the shuttle that had brought reinforcements.

Liam followed with a grenade of his own, and Sara sent a jolt of energy at Meriweather. Vetra scooped up her shotgun, kicked the stunned outlaw in the chest, and snarled, "You don't ever touch my sister."

Meriweather's lip curled as she spat on the ground near Vetra's boots. "Fucking Initiative lackeys."

"If I ever see you again," Vetra said quietly, "I will end you myself." She kicked Meriweather in the ribs once more, then turned to her sister. "Come on, let's get you out of here."

* * *

Sara turned off the vidcom and sighed with relief. The exiles turned settlers were safely back on Voeld. Beside her, Vetra sank onto a chair. "Sid was right about one thing, Pathfinder."

"What was that?" Sara inquired, leaning on the railing overlooking the research station.

"Those exiles. They were good people who made a couple of bad decisions. We can't just leave people cut off out there for a couple of bad decisions." Sara tensed. "And we can't keep punishing ourselves for small mistakes."

"I'm the Pathfinder, Vetra. No mistake is a small mistake."

"Maybe. But you can't keep beating yourself up for it. Forgiving yourself is as important as forgiving others. Probably more so, when it comes to you."

"Are we still talking about Sid?"

Vetra huffed out a sigh. "Listen, I know why you're ashamed. But I saw how Vidal looked at you, and I know you cared for him. The whole crew noticed how happy you were after that night on Kadara. I think he was just trying to protect you in the same way I tried to protect Sid. Just...talk to him."

Some of the tension left Sara's shoulders. "I'll talk to him. But first, tell me more about you and Sid."


	11. Chapter 11

_If Ryder didn't keep that gun you gave her by her side, I'd have headbutted you into oblivion by now._

It was the first time anyone on the Tempest had contacted him since Sara walked away. Reyes felt a small measure of relief, even as he read the not-so-subtle threat from Drack. She had kept the gift, that had to mean something. Either that or he'd underestimated just how practical she was. He shook his head, trying to rid himself of the thought, and stood up from his bed.

Early morning sun flooded the tiny bedroom of the only marginally less tiny prefab he'd carved out for himself, tucked away near Varren's Scalp. Reyes had chosen the spot partly because it was high up against a sheer cliff, making it difficult to approach, but mostly for the view and light.

The house was a refuge, the only place he really let go of his worries. It was sparsely furnished, with only a few personal touches, chief among which was the sketch of a middle-aged couple. He'd done it himself using the pencils he'd brought as a luxury from the Milky Way.

His fingers twitched as his gaze fell on his sketch pad. A memory of Sara came to him, the first time they'd worked together to take down the Roekaar cell. Her hair struggled to escape its ponytail, her eyes snapped with determination as she sighted down the barrel of her pistol. She'd stood straight-backed and proud, and he had admired the resolve and courage that radiated from her.

Some memories were worth holding on to, he thought, even if they were sharp enough to cut. Sometimes hope was enough to keep you going, no matter how futile it seemed. Sara meant hope for thousands. He held tightly to the belief that she could be hope for him, too, although in an entirely different way.

Reyes checked the time on his omnitool, six hours until he was due to meet with his Resistance contact. He pulled on a T-shirt, folded his legs under him, and began to draw.

* * *

"Pathfinder, you have an urgent communication from Dr. Harry Carlyle," SAM announced. Sara dropped her coffee cup in her haste to bring up her email, her heart thudding out its fear for Scott.

She read the two lines of text, let out a strangled yelp, and dashed out of the kitchen and up the ladder to the bridge. "Kallo!" she called, barely able to contain her excitement. "Get us to the Nexus, Scott is awake!"

"Excellent news, Pathfinder!" The pilot immediately flipped a switch and pushed two buttons. "Shall I announce it to the crew?"

Sara shook her head and activated her comm. "Everyone, we're taking a quick detour before checking on Voeld. My brother is awake!"

Peebee popped out of her escape pod, whooping with excitement. She grabbed Sara and spun her around in a quick dance. "That's great, Ryder! Please tell me he's the fun twin, because I can't wait to hear all the embarrassing stories about you!"

"Peebee!" Kallo scolded her. "The Pathfinder probably wants a quiet reunion with her brother."

Sara laughed out of sheer relief. "Dr. Carlyle says he can only just sit up, so no parties yet. I promise, when he's ready, I'll bring him on board to meet everyone."

* * *

The sixteen hours it took to fly to the Nexus were the longest Sara had ever experienced. As soon as the Tempest docked, she was off and running. Cora yelled something after her about restocking supplies, but she was out of earshot before the lieutenant could finish the thought. Supplies could wait. There was too much to tell Scott.

She careened into the medical bay and made straight for her brother. Scott was sitting up, Dr. Carlyle next to him. Sara threw her arms around her brother, halfway between laughing and crying.

"Careful, Sara," Scott joked. "Can't have you knocking me out now that I'm finally awake."

She gave him another squeeze before letting go. "I was just so worried about you." Sara sat back and gazed critically at her twin. "I think this is the only time you'll be paler than me. Skinnier, too."

"Being in a coma will do that." Scott made a face at her. "Doc says I'll get extra rations as soon as I start physical therapy. Until then I guess it's all needles and tests." He looked a little green, and Sara couldn't help laughing.

"I'm so glad you haven't changed, Scott."

"But you have. Harry says you're the new Pathfinder."

"What else did you tell him?" Sara looked sharply at the doctor.

Dr. Carlyle shook his head. "Not much. He already knew about your father, thanks to you and SAM."

"He only explained why you were all the way on the other side of the cluster," Scott put in. "Otherwise my feelings would have been hurt, knowing you weren't waiting by my sickbed." The dramatic tone he affected set Sara to laughing again.

"I'll leave you two alone. Call if you need anything." Dr. Carlyle walked off to look after his other patients.

"So...Pathfinder." Scott grew suddenly serious. "What's that been like?"

Sara groaned. "Can't we talk about anything else?"

"If I know you, you haven't been doing anything else." Scott leaned back on his pillow. "You know I'm right."

"Fine. So I've been working a lot. But we've got three settlements going. Tann wants a fourth, but finding the right place for it has been kind of a challenge. The 'golden worlds' we were promised turned out to be piles of shit."

Scott winced. "Dad must have been heartbroken."

"You know Dad. He never really showed his feelings, and it only got worse after Mom died." Sara sighed. "He sacrificed himself to save me, Scott. Andromeda was his dream. And I have to live with knowing that I'm still here and he's not."

Scott's expression turned dark for a moment. "You can't dwell on it, Sara. You know Dad loved us, even if he didn't say it all that much."

"Easy for you to say. You got Mom's eyes, you were his favorite."

"But he was always so proud of your tactical skill. He told me once that if he hadn't been disgraced, you could have been an N7." Scott placed his hand over hers. "I know he was difficult. But he cared deeply, he just couldn't say it."

Sara closed her eyes. "You must be tired. Why don't I tell you about the new worlds and my crew?"

"It's only because I'm tired that I'm letting you change the subject."

* * *

Scott had fallen asleep halfway through Sara's story about hunting down the yevara poachers. She was exhausted, too, but decided against returning to the Tempest just yet. Instead, she found herself pacing the Pathfinder's quarters on the Hyperion.

"If I may make a suggestion, Pathfinder, you've unlocked another of your father's memories. If you visit the node, I can show it to you."

"Okay, SAM." It was only a dozen steps to the small bay that housed the AI matrix. "Show it to me."

Sara didn't know why her father had chosen to highlight the memory of her mother's last day. Six hundred years and millions of light years hadn't dulled the pain of that recollection. Her mother had used one of her last breaths to tell her to fall in love, and Sara flinched away from the knowledge that she'd walked away from the one real connection she'd made in Andromeda.

"SAM, please don't mention this to Lexi until I say it's okay. Got it?"

"Understood, Pathfinder."

* * *

Keema stared at Reyes across the table, openmouthed in surprise. "You want to offer the Initiative an outpost here on Kadara?"

"It will be good for business. Just under twelve percent of our current income is from Initiative personnel. If we can double that amount without going off-world, whatever protection we put on the settlement will pay for itself within six months." He grinned. "Plus they'll have some of the nuts and bolts we'll need."

Crux nodded her agreement. "Even with the reduced water toxicity, a fair amount of our equipment is held together with spit and glue. We could use an influx of Initiative supplies, and doing it legally would be safer for all concerned."

Keema's eyes narrowed. "This will require some careful consideration, Vidal. And possibly a great deal of work. Can I count on you to be our emissary to the Initiative?"

"Of course, Charlatan." Reyes didn't even blink at the idea. Any excuse to work with Sara again, he thought. Bless Keema for catching on so quickly.

* * *

"Ry-der," Peebee singsonged. "My scanner works like a dream and I've tracked down a huge chunk of Remnant programming. Now that we've dropped off the stuff they needed on Voeld, can we head to the Inalaara system?"

Sara welcomed the excuse to put off going back to Kadara. She had told Vetra she would talk to Reyes, but she absolutely was not ready for it. "Sure, just give Kallo the coordinates you want. I'm going to be in my quarters for the next few hours, working on some reports for Tann."

Peebee grimaced. "Ugh, paperwork. I'm so glad I'm not the Pathfinder."

"Sure, Peebee, rub it in."

* * *

"Pelessaria B'Sayle, are you insane?" Jaal shouted, gripping the shoulder restraints of the escape pod. "If you had been able to wait just a little longer, Kallo could have landed us somewhere safe!"

"No, he couldn't have." Peebee's bright green eyes danced with excitement. "Not where we're going!"

"And where, exactly, is that?" Sara asked, not without a little dread.

"Um...well, we're sort of landing inside an active volcano. I've scanned the entire planet and there's no other way to get to the tech." Peebee paused. "You're not mad, right, Pathfinder?"

"That depends. Do you have a way of getting us out of here?"

"Kind of?"

Just then, the escape pod hit the ground. As soon as she recovered, Sara glared at the irrepressible asari. "If we make it out of here, you're buying me a new escape pod."

* * *

"You know, this wouldn't be so hard if it wasn't for all the damned outlaws trying to kill us," Jaal grumbled.

"It's not so bad, lighten up." Peebee was busy examining a deactivated Breacher. "Although I really do have to wonder how they found this place."

 _"I didn't find the place, I just found you,"_ crackled a familiar voice over the comm. _"You really should have scanned your little robot friend when you claimed him from me."_

"You put a tracking device in Poc? Pretty smart, Kalinda, but also kind of creepy. Don't you have anything better to do than annoy me?"

 _"Of course, but you led me straight to a piece of pure tech. Once I steal it, I can sell it for a bundle."_

Sara rolled her eyes. "Peebee, let's just get moving. I definitely don't want to deal with this crazy woman again."

Jaal grunted. "Does she even know what she's stealing?"

"I doubt it," Peebee answered. "Let's go."

* * *

"There's one thing I don't get, Peebee." Sara picked up some loose schematics and sorted them neatly. "Although I do understand why nobody else wanted to help, this pod bay is a disaster."

"Don't worry about it, Ryder. You're not really a programmer." Peebee smiled brightly.

"Not that! What made you so sure Kalinda wouldn't try to betray you as soon as you saved her?"

Peebee shuffled her feet, and if Sara had been looking she would have seen the asari blush. "I cared about her once, you know? And at the end...she begged for her life. I want to think that people can change. That nobody's all bad. And that all it takes is for someone to see the good in you to help you out. Like you and the rest of the crew here did for me." She frowned and put down her dust rag. "I need a drink. Want to see if Drack's bathtub ryncol turned out?"

"No thanks. I can't handle human alcohol all that well, I'm pretty sure krogan alcohol would kill me."


	12. Chapter 12

Ruth Bekker, Sara thought, would be the death of them all.

Sara had stopped by the Nexus to check on her brother. Scott was doing better, well enough to start physical therapy, but nowhere near the point of resuming active duty. He had recovered to the point of driving Dr. Carlyle mad, and the doctor had Sara's complete sympathy.

After waving her brother off to his daily strength training session, Sara had bumped into one of the medtechs. She'd apologized and tried to move on, but the tech had asked for her help.

Eventually, Sara mused, she was going to have to learn how to say no.

Ruth Bekker's disease was highly infectious in its final stages, characterized by coughing, fever, and severe disorientation and aggression. There was no telling where she might have gone, or who she might have come into contact with. Sara seriously considered finding Ruth's nephew and giving him a good kick for risking the entire Initiative, but instead headed down to the Nexus operations checkpoint.

Teron, fortunately, remembered Ruth quite well. He was able to point her in the direction of the docking bay, saying that the older woman had been distraught, insisting that she needed a shuttle. When he asked why she was so interested, Sara made up some vague excuse about Ruth's work assignment not being cleared yet, and dashed off toward the tram.

Upon reaching the docking bay, she realized she was too late. The dock captain was holding a cold pack to his head, grumbling about a stolen shuttle, and her heart sank. "SAM? Alert the Tempest crew. I want everyone on board and prepared to go in half an hour."

"Of course, Pathfinder."

Sara approached the dock captain cautiously. "What happened here?"

"Fucked if I know," the captain replied. "Woman ran in, demanded a shuttle, and when I tried to tell her to wait she clocked me and took off. Security tagged her, though. We'll have someone tracking her down by tomorrow."

"Let me handle it," Sara suggested. "I'm on my way out anyway. I'll have my team escort the shuttle back as soon as we find it."

The dock captain was visibly relieved. "That would be a huge help. We're short-staffed here until the embassy on Aya is settled anyway. Thanks, Pathfinder."

* * *

Reyes flicked through the survey reports he and his team had accumulated over the last few days. Sulfur Springs was easily the best area for an Initiative settlement, but his scouts had located two kett camps in the immediate vicinity.

He looked at the other options. Varren's Scalp was out, the wind farm was needed to power Kadara Port. Kurinth's Valley was too remote and lacked access to water. Haarfel would require too much leveling of ground. Reyes sighed and reminded himself that whatever it took to get Sara to come back would be worth it, even if it meant tangling with an increasingly desperate kett presence.

It was easy enough to assemble a team. The Collective had seen a jump in numbers since taking over from Sloane, which didn't surprise Reyes as much as it had surprised Keema. People who had been content on the sidelines during the worst of the battle would jump in at the end to support the victors. He'd seen it on the Nexus, he'd seen it back on Earth. That being said, he was keeping a close eye on the new recruits.

The plan was relatively uncomplicated. Six members of the team would attack the larger camp and draw out most of the kett. Once there was only a skeleton garrison in place, Reyes and one other would sneak in and set demolition charges on the gear crates, shuttle, and generators. Once the charges blew, it would be an easy enough task to mop up whatever kett survived the blast.

Of course, nothing was ever that simple. While both camps were reduced to smoking holes in the ground, Reyes had taken a hit high up on his left thigh, and ruefully noted that in addition to getting sewn up by Dr. Nakamoto, he'd need to replace his armor.

Two hours later, he lay flat on his back in the medical crate, sweat beading his forehead as the doctor pulled the jagged piece of metal from the wound. With quick, precise movements born of long practice, Nakamoto applied a layer of medigel, stitched the wound closed, and taped a bandage into place.

"You can look now," the doctor informed Reyes. "Keep it clean, get plenty of fluids, and don't do anything stupid."

"Thanks, Ryo. You know I'm a careful man." His omnitool let out a quiet blip. _Tempest approaching Kadara Port._ He hadn't realized that his spotters were keeping an eye out for Sara after all this time. "How much do I owe you?"

"Nothing." Dr. Nakamoto waved him away. "I know you should have charged me double for that last shipment of antivenoms. Just...stop calling me Ryo."

Reyes tapped his omnitool. "Next time I find a pile of unguarded medical supplies I'll send them your way." He swung himself off the table and jogged back to Tartarus, ignoring the doctor's caution to take it easy.

* * *

Kadara, Sara thought. Of all the places Ruth Bekker had to crash, of course it was Kadara.

She called Drack and Vetra along for the mission, pointedly avoiding eye contact with both as they rode the elevator down to the slums. "SAM, have Kallo drop the Nomad at Warden's Gate and set the navpoint for the shuttle's landing site."

Too late, the voice at the back of her mind whispered. You're too late and Kadara's been infected.

She squeezed her eyes shut as she vaulted the gate and headed for the forward station. Sara had to believe there was still time. As she climbed into the driver's seat, she took one look behind her at the slums. When this was over, she decided, it would be time to talk to Reyes. No point in being a coward about it.

"Buckle up, kids," Sara said. Drack began to grumble about being called a kid, but stopped as soon as Sara hit the accelerator.

Vetra whistled when they came to the crash site. "Not sure anyone survived this, Pathfinder."

Sara was already scanning the wreckage. "We can't be too careful, Vee. There are footprints leading away and...oh."

"The footprints appear to be angaran, Pathfinder," SAM noted. "It is unlikely that Ruth Bekker walked away from this willingly."

Drack surveyed the trail. "There's a structure up there, that's probably where they went."

"Come on, then." Sara drew her Carnifex, which elicited a hum from Vetra. "No time to lose."

She sprinted up the slope, praying that the angaran that picked up Ruth was friendly. Unfortunately, she was met with an angry Roekaar who had drawn a sample of Ruth's blood.

Sara trained her pistol on the angaran. "Let her go, or I will destroy you."

"No!" Ruth moaned. "Get away from me, you're going to get infected."

"Pathfinder," SAM whispered to her. "That sample is likely to degrade beyond any use if he does not get it on ice in five minutes."

Good to know, Sara thought. She lowered her hands and put the safety back on the clip. "Let her go, and I let you walk away."

The angaran sneered at her. "Your kind does not belong here. I will use this woman as a weapon long after you think you're safe." He shoved Ruth toward Sara and fled.

"SAM, alert Lexi. Have her ready with a stasis pod so we can get Ruth here back in cryo until we have a cure."

* * *

Sara scowled at Keema. "Where is he?" She'd barreled into the former Outcast headquarters, expecting to see a black-haired, amber-eyed pain in the ass. She'd gotten Keema.

"Keep your voice down. As far as I know, Reyes is at Tartarus. Probably waiting for you to respond to one of his messages." Keema flicked her fingers at one of the guards, who brought her a datapad. "You could have at least answered one."

Sara rocked back as though she'd been slapped. "I had my reasons for keeping my distance."

"I told him that you needed to know, but he wouldn't listen to me."

Sara drew a sharp breath. "Do you know why?"

"He was terrified that you wouldn't care for him after he told you. It was almost adorable, really. Wearing his heart on his sleeve like that." She smiled mockingly. "Almost as obvious as you."

Sara turned and fled.

* * *

Reyes paced the back room of Tartarus until his leg began to ache again despite the medigel. Not wanting to repeat his earlier experience with Dr. Nakamoto, he flung himself onto the couch and tried to read the security reports from the base in Draullir, but ended up skimming the same two sentences over and over again. He absently ate a protein bar, drank some water. He checked the time. Four hours since the Tempest had docked.

She's not coming, he thought. There's no way she's coming back. He mechanically sent updates on the outpost site to Keema, checked to see if any requests for services had come in. Nothing. He ran his hands over his head and sighed in frustration.

The door hissed open, and Sara walked in. If he'd been drinking, he would have sworn she was a hallucination. Maybe she was, he didn't know how much blood he'd lost that day. He stood slowly and walked over to her, stopping just short of being able to reach out and touch her face.

She wore no armor, but his heart leaped when he saw that the Carnifex he'd stolen for her rested at her hip. Her hands twisted in worry, her hair was loose and straggling, she looked like she hadn't slept in days, but he didn't care, she had come back. She was trembling and opened her mouth to speak, but he stopped her.

"Sara...there's a lot I want to apologize for, but first I want to offer you something. No strings. I've found a place here on Kadara for the Initiative, a site for an outpost. It will have my full protection. I want to help you in any way I can, Sara."

"Why?"

His composure shattered at that one simple question. "Because there is something else I want to say to you. But I want you to know that no matter how you respond to it, you'll have the outpost."

Her face glowed with the purpose he'd admired so much on their first meeting. "I think an outpost on Kadara is a wonderful idea. Maybe it will help us bring some of the exiles back to the Initiative."

Relief flooded his whole body, making him weak in the knees. He pulled out a chair and nodded to Sara. "Please, sit. And listen to what I have to say.

"I'm sorry. Seeing you walk into that cave with Sloane," he stumbled a little at the memory, "it was the worst moment of my life. Not because I thought I might die, but because I knew I'd hurt you. I hated myself for it. You're a force for good, a strange light in darkness...and I work in the shadows. I want to work with you, Sara. Whatever else happens between us, I want to be working for good at the edge of your light."

Sara leaned forward, luminescent. "I want that too." She took one of his hands in hers, smiling openly. "Let's start right now."

Reyes gestured helplessly at his bandaged left leg. "I'm afraid I'm grounded for a few days."

She exhaled sharply. "Then let me say what I came to say. When my brother woke up, I realized that only one other person in this galaxy had called me by my name, not Ryder or Pathfinder. I realized that you'd been the first person to ask me about myself long before that. I realized that good people can make bad decisions sometimes. And I realized that I was so hurt by what happened in that cave because I thought you'd used me."

"I kept asking for your help because I wanted to see you," he confessed. "I liked being just Reyes with you."

Sara blinked back tears. "I know you have to be the Charlatan most of the time, just like I have to be the Pathfinder. I hope it's enough if we can just be Sara and Reyes together."

"It's more than enough," Reyes murmured, brushing his lips against the back of her hand. "It's everything. I love you, Sara Ryder."

Her eyes sparkled. "Does that injury prevent any other activities?"

"You've got a dirty mind, Sara. And unfortunately, yes." He winced as he stood. "Stay with me tonight?"

"Here?" Sara raised an eyebrow. "I do have reasonably comfortable quarters, you know."

"Of course not here," he laughed, drawing her close. "I'm taking you home."


	13. Chapter 13

Sara rummaged around the miniscule kitchen, incredibly grateful she'd raided the mess on the Tempest before sneaking off with Reyes. As far as she could tell from the state of his cabinets, the man existed solely on protein packs, coffee, and vitamin pills.

She located what she was after (a frying pan) and stole a moment to admire the still-sleeping smuggler. The sunlit bronze of his skin contrasted beautifully with the pale gray sheets, his black hair stuck up at odd angles. They'd talked late into the night, about inconsequential things like favorite vids and more important things like their families. Their conversations were punctuated by bouts of kissing that made her feel dizzy, like a teenager again.

Given the size of the bandage on his leg, Sara wasn't surprised that Reyes was still asleep. She regretted having to wake him, but didn't want to leave without saying goodbye. Breakfast would have to serve as an apology for the necessity of interrupting his sleep. Powdered eggs and soy bacon didn't make for much of an omelet, but a fresh tomato would go a long way toward redeeming it.

She sipped her coffee as she waited to fold the eggs over, basking in the peace and sunlight. She couldn't remember the last time she'd had a quiet, lazy morning like this. Probably long before she'd left the Milky Way.

"I think that's more use than my kitchen has ever gotten." Reyes padded over to Sara and dropped a light kiss on her cheek, interrupting her reverie. "You must be some kind of miracle worker."

"Don't get used to it," Sara warned him while flipping the eggs. "This is more or less the extent of my cooking capability. Go put on a shirt, it'll be ready in a minute."

"Can't. You're wearing it." Reyes gave her a lazy grin. "Although if you want to take it off I certainly won't object."

Sara snorted. "You've got to own more than one shirt." She used the spatula to slice the omelet in half and slide each half onto a plate. "You just want to see me naked."

"Guilty," he breathed, eyes roaming over her bare legs in a way that made her pulse quicken. "I feel like I got cheated last night."

Sara crimsoned. "They say the best way to overcome temptation is to avoid it. I'm not risking hurting you any further."

Reyes scooped up a forkful of eggs. "You are a cruel woman, Sara."

"Next time," Sara promised him, raking her gaze over his bare chest. "I have to leave you wanting more somehow."

"I've wanted more since the moment you smiled at me in Kralla's Song." The quiet intensity of his words shocked her. "I can wait a little longer."

Sara swallowed the last bit of her omelet. "You say the sweetest things."

"Only sometimes," Reyes teased her as he stacked the plates next to the sink. "I'm concerned by the number of bruises on your arms and legs," he continued, more seriously. "Is Pathfinding really that dangerous?"

"Says the man who can't have sex because he got shot yesterday," Sara groused. "Despite what that sickly-sweet documentary says, there are way more bullets than handshakes."

"I didn't 'get shot,' a two-inch piece of shrapnel caught me," he protested.

"That's not better!" Sara curled herself against him, tracing patterns on the warm skin of his shoulder. "Be careful, Reyes. I promised I'd come back to you, and you need to be here for that to work."

"I'm not going anywhere," he reassured her, then caught her lips in a kiss. She relaxed as she tilted her head back. It was wonderful to take in his presence, to snake her arms around his shoulders and feel the heat of his mouth. His fingers flirted with the hem of the T-shirt she'd borrowed, brushing against the tops of her bare thighs, and she sucked in a breath.

"You don't fight fair, do you?" she whispered.

"Not where you're concerned, sweetheart." He kissed her again, almost chastely this time. "If I had my way you'd be grounded here indefinitely. But I know you have work to do."

Sara crossed into the tiny bedroom and wriggled into her clothes. "Just like you."

Once she was ready to leave, they stood in silence for a few moments, his nose to her forehead, her arms around his waist, his fingers in her hair. "Before you go, there's one more thing I should tell you."

"What's that?" Sara gazed up at him curiously.

"My new 'role' in the Collective will be official emissary to the Initiative." He grinned. "We'll be working together a lot more once this settlement is up and running."

"All the more reason to get moving." Sara stood up on her toes to kiss him. "I'll be back as soon as I can."

* * *

 _If you hurt her again, I'll let Drack off the leash. And I'll be right behind him. - Lt. Harper_

Good to know some things didn't change. He'd never met the woman, but from his reports he'd gathered that Cora Harper didn't trust anyone and that she was a stickler for order. Reyes made a mental note to avoid pissing the former commando off. The combination of asari discipline and human hotheadedness wasn't one he was eager to sample.

He checked his bandage. No bleed through, that was good. Reyes had been patched up enough times to know the drill, and took a quick birdbath at his sink instead of showering. Getting the bandage wet was a fast track to sepsis, and he had work to do.

Once the necessities were taken care of, Reyes ventured out to inspect the site for the Initiative settlement. He knew it would only be basic prefab houses, a militia barracks, and maybe a research station or two, but he wanted to be as thorough as possible. Getting the Collective in the good graces of the Initiative would mean second chances for a lot of exiles, and he wasn't about to waste the opportunity.

The site survey didn't take long, and once complete, Reyes sat in the shade of his little rover. A protein bar served as lunch, but more importantly, he took the opportunity to sketch out what he believed the outpost could look like. He knew he'd sold Sara on the idea, but a little flair in the presentation would hopefully ease some of the doubts the Nexus harbored about Kadara.

Drawing usually relaxed him, and this was no exception. By the time he'd put down a rough outline, the quiet rushing of the wind and the scratching of his pencil had lulled him into a calm he hadn't experienced since coming out of stasis. He stood, stretched, and stowed his equipment, then decided to check the kett camps for anything salvageable.

Not much was left. He and Jacobs had been pretty thorough when setting the demolition charges, but he did tag several relay conductors, a few ammo caches, and what he thought might be Remnant technology. Reyes sent coordinates to a retrieval team, and headed back to the port. He wasn't in the business of kissing and telling, but he knew Keema would drop a weapons-grade _I told you so_ as soon as she found out, and he wanted to get that out of the way.

* * *

"Ryder, may I speak with you?"

Sara looked up from her datapad and smiled as Jaal approached. "Of course. Have a seat in the finest hydroponic garden on the Nexus."

He looked confused. "There is only one hydroponic garden on the Nexus...oh. You are attempting humor."

She stifled a chuckle, wanting to spare his feelings. "It seems strange to me that for a people who express so many emotions so freely, you don't laugh much."

"Angara tend to express humor through wording and emphasis. I think it is what you would call a pun." Jaal cleared his throat. "Although among angara, I am not very funny."

"Sorry, Jaal, I didn't mean to distract you." Sara turned off the datapad and laid it on the bench beside her. "What did you want to speak to me about?"

"You are close to your brother, yes?" Another thing she hadn't quite grasped yet, the angara preferred to communicate at a much closer range than humans did.

"Scott and I are twins, and we spent more time together than most siblings do. He'd laugh at me for actually saying this out loud, but he's my best friend." Sara unconsciously rubbed her arm over her tattoo. "Scott's always told me I'm bad with feelings."

"I would like to meet him. Do you think that would be acceptable?" There was no mistaking the mixture of hope and concern in Jaal's face.

"I have to go present the newest outpost site to Addison and Tann, but after that I'll check with Dr. Carlyle. If Scott isn't too worn out from his daily PT, I'd love to introduce you to him." Sara brushed some imaginary fuzz off her jacket and stood. "In the meantime, I think Liam and Vetra are at the Vortex if you'd like to join them."


	14. Chapter 14

"Kadara," Director Addison said, utterly horrified. "You want to entrust an Initiative outpost to...a criminal organization?"

"That's not quite it," Sara responded calmly. "Like all the other outposts, it would be Initiative run. The Collective, however, has promised its protection in exchange for our cooperation."

"And you believe them." Tann shook his head in annoyance.

Sara took a deep breath and managed to keep her voice level. "I've met with several agents of the Charlatan. I'm convinced they're sincere." She passed her datapad to Addison. "These are photos of the site and a plan for building. A site survey was completed just yesterday morning, and I'm told the Collective cleared out two kett camps in order to make the colony feasible."

"This is certainly thorough," the colonial director commented as she browsed through the documents. "All this was done by the Collective?"

"Specifically under the guidance of Reyes Vidal, who has been appointed the official emissary to the Initiative." Sara tapped her foot impatiently. "I've met with him already, and can schedule another meeting at a moment's notice."

"I suppose he hasn't explicitly outlined the sort of cooperation his organization expects." Tann's sneer was so pronounced Sara briefly wondered if he'd practiced it. "We'd be fools to agree blindly."

"Actually, he has. The Collective wants repatriation for nonviolent mutineers and trade permissions." She reclaimed her datapad and brought up the sketch Reyes had sent her. "Any exiles wishing to repatriate would have to apply, of course, and I suggested a probationary period. As for the trade permissions, the Collective will be taking on some little financial burden to ensure the safety of the outpost. I think it's only fair that we share some of our recent economic development."

She smiled inwardly as Tann sputtered. "They cannot be serious."

Addison, however, took a more pragmatic view. "Any repatriated colonists can be used as leverage against the Collective if necessary."

"You mean you'd throw them out again if the Collective doesn't play ball."

"Quite." Addison favored Sara with an icy smile. "You weren't here during the uprising. You've gotten results, Ryder, but you're still rather naive."

"This is our best option, and it benefits Kadara just as much as it benefits us." Sara showed both directors the sketch of the proposed outpost, Ditaeon. "Truly, this is the work of raving criminal lunatics." She was unable to keep the sarcasm from her voice.

Tann rubbed the back of his neck in irritation. "Consider your request granted, Pathfinder. Speak to Kandros about setting up his militia training camp there."

* * *

 _We've got the settlement. Get this: it's going to be a military installation. Tann and Addison are full of love and forgiveness. I'm off to speak with Kesh and Kandros about supplies, volunteers, and all the other little details. (Thank god those two at least are willing to see reason.) Give it a week, ten days at most, and I'll be back on Kadara to talk more about this. Among other things._

 _I miss you._

Reyes let out a quiet cheer as he read Sara's message, then signaled to Keema from his corner of her throne room. She nodded once in response, and he made his way over to her throne.

"I take it that was good news?" Keema might not have been the ruthless criminal boss Sloane was, but Reyes had to admit that from watching her lounge on the throne and hearing the bored tone of her voice, he wouldn't have been able to guess.

"Only the best. Sa–the Pathfinder has spoken to the Initiative, and the settlement we discussed has the all clear."

Keema rolled her eyes, which he'd realized pretty quickly meant exactly what it did when a human did it, and stood up to gaze levelly at Reyes. "You can admit she's your lover now."

"Not here," Reyes muttered. "I'm still not sure about some of the new recruits."

Keema sighed. "Nobody's forgotten that you put the moves on her at Sloane's party. I heard a rumor that she was looking to ditch the Initiative and join up."

Reyes snorted in laughter. "You made that up."

"I assure you I did not. But it's good to see you cheerful again, Vidal. For a while, you looked so dour I thought you and Kaetus were brothers." She reclined again and sipped her drink lazily. "Your hard work paid off. You can relax a little now."

"Actually, I think it might be time to pay Kaetus a visit." Reyes headed for the door. "Maybe this time he'll be willing to talk."

* * *

The holding cells where Kaetus had been imprisoned were slightly cleaner than they'd been under Outcast supervision, but no less dismal. Reyes strode calmly to the door of the turian's cell, keyed in the code, and let himself in.

Kaetus sat on the narrow bunk, face paint flaked and fading, looking less angry and more resigned than Reyes had expected. "I was wondering when someone with some influence would come to interrogate me." He coughed painfully. "The Charlatan must be impatient."

Reyes made no response, choosing instead to stay at the edge of Kaetus' field of vision. Kaetus wasn't burdened with an overabundance of nerves, so he would take every chance he got to unbalance him.

"Knew you were part of the Collective," Kaetus continued, as though he hadn't paused at all. "Independent smuggler...what a load of varren shit. How much did the Charlatan have to pay for your loyalty?"

"Less than what it's costing you for your loyalty to Sloane." Reyes studied the turian's profile.

Kaetus' jaw tightened. "Loyalty always has a price to pay. Otherwise it's worthless."

"To who? You're paying fealty to a dead woman. The Charlatan merely wants information to keep the port safe from the kett. We're aware Sloane knew more than she let on."

"I don't give information to Nexus lapdogs."

"Suit yourself." Reyes turned as if to walk away.

"She's a cute little thing, that Pathfinder." Kaetus laughed cruelly. "But not attractive enough to warrant crawling back to the Initiative. She'd really have to–"

Before he realized it, Reyes had crossed the cell in two quick strides. "The way I remember it, Sloane wasn't much to look at."

"Didn't matter to me, she had brains and guts. But everyone knows your weakness. You like them pretty and you like them stupid. Zia, Monaghan, and that idiot Frederick who got himself killed. No reason to think the Pathfinder would be any different."

"And yet, for all her 'brains and guts,' Sloane's gone and the Pathfinder has what she went after." Reyes took a step back, his face impassive. "Doesn't look too good for you."

Kaetus sneered. "So you'll execute me, then."

"That's up to the Charlatan. But I think I'd rather just let you rot here."

"I don't care what you Collective assholes do. I'm not breaking my promises to Sloane, or revealing any of her secrets." For the first time, Reyes detected a trace of fear in his voice.

"I suppose I can't fault you for keeping your word. Enjoy your stay."

* * *

 _I'm not surprised Tann and Addison insisted on the military presence. Really, I'm just glad they okayed the settlement at all. Though I would have liked to be a fly on the wall at that meeting._

 _Make sure to take a little time for yourself while you're on the Nexus. When you make it to Kadara, I've got a little project for us. Something that's more than a thinly-veiled excuse to get you alone. Until then, I'll work to keep Kadara ours._

Sara breathed deeply, fighting off a sudden sense of panic. Joking and flirting were all very well, but she was all too aware that when it came down to it, she was relatively inexperienced. Not a virgin, of course...but she definitely didn't possess the self-assured sensuality that Reyes exuded.

Even in a wholly innocently-worded email, he could leave her spinning.

Scott, Sara decided. It was time to go visit Scott and hopefully clear her head. During the short walk to the Hyperion's medical bay, she settled herself. If her eyes were a bit bright and her face was a little flushed, she'd claim that she had her blood up from arguing with Nexus leadership.

As usual, Scott was about to burst at the seams from boredom. He waved enthusiastically as she walked in, nearly knocking over his bedside stand. "Thank god you're here! I was starting to develop opinions on Blasto 4 versus Blasto 5."

"I didn't realize those made the trip." Sara sat down after hugging her brother and silently thanked Harry for making sure the chair next to Scott's bed was comfortable.

"They didn't." Scott's voice was wry. "I've been that bored."

"I've got stacks of reports on angaran trade policy you're welcome to borrow."

"I slept through the dullness of first contact, but get to experience the thrill of economic diplomacy?" Scott fanned himself. "I'm the luckiest guy in Andromeda!"

"Speaking of first contact..." Sara scanned the room. "Hey, Harry!"

The doctor looked up from his datapad. "Yes?"

"Think Scott's up to a second visitor?"

Harry smiled. "If it shuts him up for a few hours, it'll be good for everyone on this ark."

"Hey!" Scott protested. "I am entertaining, thank you very much!"

Sara pinged Jaal from her omni-tool. "My friend Jaal wants to meet you. He's the angaran member of our team."

"I was wondering when I'd get to meet your crew. I need to make sure you haven't terrified them all with your driving."

Sara scowled. "Very funny. Should I remind you that you're the one who crashed the Mako in training?"

"That was only because Johansen accidentally triggered his biotics! When someone in the vehicle hits you with a Nova, you crash!"

"Excuses, excuses." Sara giggled. "Besides, Jaal doesn't mind my driving. He's actually taken naps in the Nomad. Either he's got nerves of steel or angara just sleep more than we do."

"Nerves of steel seem more likely to me." Scott paused. "I wonder how that idiom translates."

"No idea. I had to explain 'cat got your tongue' to Vetra. I don't think I did a good job of it and she wasn't amused. Especially because Sid apparently got the DNA sequence for cats out of storage for someone."

"Seriously? Think Harry would let me keep a cat in the med bay?"

"No!" called Harry from across the room.

Scott turned back to Sara. "Well then, looks like you're going to have to keep a cat on the Tempest."

"Fine, but I'm naming the cat Blasto."

Just then, Jaal strolled in. "Blasto? Like those vids Liam loves?" He hugged a surprised Scott. "Jaal Ama Darav. It is a pleasure to meet you, Scott Ryder."

"My sister says you've been a great help to her team." As usual, Scott recovered quickly. "Also that you like tinkering with electronics. You two should get along famously."

"She and Gil have asked me for help upgrading the Nomad. It has been enjoyable working with them."

"So, tell me honestly: has Sara been working you all as hard as she's been driving herself?" Scott looked directly at Jaal. "I know you guys are probably her only friends in this cluster."

"Scott! I'm right here!" She crossed her arms and rolled her eyes. "If I'm relentless, it's because Tann won't let me catch a break."

"The Pathfinder works very hard, but fortunately for her team she only takes two of us along at a time. The rest of us are able to relax or focus on other projects." Jaal glanced at Sara, then back at Scott. "And we are not her only friends. Hasn't she told you about her boyfriend?"

"Oh, shit," Sara muttered. Her twin, on the other hand, sat up straighter.

"You have to be kidding. Sara hasn't been on a date since she was nineteen." He smiled gleefully as Sara wished she could sink through the floor. "Come on, big sis, spill. What's your boyfriend's name?"

"I wouldn't call him my boyfriend. We haven't really talked about that. But his name is Reyes." She dropped her head into her hands and groaned. "I was not ready to have this conversation with either of you."

"You spent the night with him, Pathfinder. Liam seemed to think that was significant." Jaal looked uncertain. "Is that not so?"

"You slept with him already? Way to go, Sara!"

"Jesus Christ, Scott! I am _not_ talking about this!"

* * *

Back on the Tempest, Sara resisted the urge to short-sheet Jaal's bunk. And Liam's. She did, however, plop herself on her bed with a stolen beer. Before she had taken more than a few sips, SAM interrupted her. "Pathfinder, Jaal wishes to speak with you."

She sighed and moved to the little couch. "Tell him it's okay to come down whenever."

The door opened immediately, and Jaal appeared nervous. "Pathfinder, I apologize if I broached a subject that you did not wish to discuss with your brother."

"It's all right. I was going to have to tell him eventually." Sara took another pull of her beer. "I think I would have liked to know a little more about what our relationship actually is first, but this will be fine."

"He is looking out for you. Your brother, I mean. And you clearly care about him. And it makes me confident enough to ask you for your help with one more thing."

"Anything for my crew, Jaal. You know that."

"I was not sure after the escape pod with Peebee. But some of my siblings have joined the Roekaar. Will you help me bring them back to my family?"

Sara coughed in surprise. "Are you sure you want to bring aliens with you for this?"

Jaal didn't blink. "I trust you, Ryder. I have seen you with your family. I know that you will understand what this means."


	15. Chapter 15

Havarl was as wild and as beautiful as Sara remembered it being, even with the vault activated. The lights of Pelaav shone against the dense jungle, and she made a mental note to check in with the Initiative scientists after working with Jaal's family.

"Ryder, from what I understand, my siblings have joined the Roekaar at the Forge." Jaal paced agitatedly alongside the Tempest.

"The Forge?" Sara struck off at a quick pace.

"It is thought to be the ancestral birthplace of the angara. A team of scientists had been working there until recently. My mother was unable to tell me why Akksul chose the Forge as a base camp."

"Maybe you'd better lead the way. This is your home, after all."

"They will also be less likely to shoot if they see me first." Jaal strode ahead.

Liam grumbled. "You're just brimming with good cheer, aren't you?"

"I am merely realistic. I would not want to see either of you hurt."

"That's touching, but not reassuring," Liam commented. "Are you sure you don't want to let Ryder lead the way?"

"Keep up the attitude, Liam, and I'll make you wash Drack's undersuit by hand." Sara checked her spare magazines and made sure her Carnifex was secure at her hip. "Or help Lexi catalogue blood samples."

"Oh, come on, Ryder!"

"Quiet!" hissed Jaal. "I can see movement up ahead."

All three froze in place. Sara murmured a command to SAM, and once again shivered as the AI shifted her profile over to better suit infiltration abilities. It didn't hurt, but the phantom sensation of neural pathways rearranging was unlike anything she'd felt.

She spoke as softly as she could. "I'm moving ahead. Jaal, Liam, be ready to cloak and charge on my command."

Stepping carefully, Sara picked her way over fallen branches until she had a clear view over the small rise ahead. Several small buildings were grouped together, illuminated by solar lamps and a central bonfire. Lightly armored figures patrolled, moving with a confidence that Sara realized meant that they were also shielded.

"I'm about forty meters ahead of our last location." She was reasonably confident that the sounds of the jungle would prevent the Roekaar from hearing her quiet command. "Stay low, and don't rush."

While she waited, she observed the regularity with which the patrols moved. There was a slightly heavier concentration of guards on the north side of the encampment, and every few minutes the sentries were loosely clumped near the smallest building. She peered through the scope of her assault rifle, noting that there was a generator behind two guards and several ammo boxes near the door of the central building.

With another quiet command to SAM, she was back in her usual Engineer protocol. Jaal melted out of the darkness, and Liam's blue and white armor gleamed palely next to her. "Watch the patrols. When there are four grouped near the north structure, I want Jaal to cloak and strike the patrol on the south side. Liam, you'll toss one of your grenades at that generator. I'll hit them with an Overload. From there, I'll handle the second one on the south. By the time the guards recover from the blown generator, we'll be in their faces."

Sara shifted her weight slightly, preparing to spring. Liam hummed a verse of something she vaguely recognized but couldn't name, and Jaal shimmered out of sight. "Now!"

An arc of electricity shot from her omnitool, mirroring the parabola of Liam's grenade. Shouts erupted as the smaller fragmentation explosion was followed by the generator giving out, then stilled as the charge stunned them. Jaal flashed into sight, slitting the throat of the patrol at the south building, and Sara threw a fireball at the guard behind her.

Liam whooped and charged, throwing punches and shotgun blasts in time with the melody he'd been humming. Jaal's rifle barked, and Sara double-tapped the guard staggering back to his feet with her pistol.

A door flew open, and two angara rushed out, unarmed. "Jaal!" The taller one rushed toward them, while the shorter hung back, obviously uncertain about her reception.

Sara holstered her pistol and stood back, although she started forward when she saw Jaal take two swings at the angaran. This is Jaal's family, she reminded herself. Stay out of it.

She shouldn't have worried. Once Jaal had thrown the second punch, he crushed the other angaran in a hug very like the one he'd given Scott on the Hyperion. A relieved sob tore from her crewmember, and for a moment everything was all right.

* * *

Reyes pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. Weeks of work hadn't unlocked any of the encryptions on Sloane's personal console, and he'd met similar stumbling blocks with Kaetus' equipment. He'd hoped to make some progress before Sara came back. "I have a project for us" sounded a lot better than "I beat my head against a brick wall for a week."

At this rate, he'd need to resort to brute force in order to crack the security. He sat back, running the calculation on his datapad, and swore under his breath at the result. Four thousand years, give or take. What could Sloane have possibly known that would require that sort of encryption?

He stretched and mumbled a few more choice curses. Making his way back to the throne room, he gave Keema the smallest shake of his head. She wasn't surprised, or at least her face only registered the tiniest acknowledgement.

The numbers just didn't add up. They'd been able to account for most of the higher-ups of the Outcasts, but roughly half a dozen remained unaccounted for by their best estimates. Kadara was a big planet, and even with the Collective moving openly, they weren't able to cover all the ground they needed to.

Reyes knew better than to think they'd simply gone to ground. He thought for a moment about how convenient that would be, but then gritted his teeth and headed for the docks.

His shuttle was Nexus-designation 503, and he smiled a little as he settled into the cockpit. He had stolen it during the mutiny, and he was certain that there had been some carping when Nexus leadership found out it was gone. Reyes had meant to rename it, give it a new paint job, but no name had struck him yet and paint was pretty far down his list of priorities. He reflected that until he managed to disguise it a little, he would need to keep his shuttle away from Ditaeon. Flaunting a stolen ship wasn't the most diplomatic move, especially when it had been considered one of the best shuttles on the Nexus.

Within minutes, Dalton had cleared him for takeoff and he was soaring across Haarfel. Reyes brought up his map of Kadara, prepared to make notes where camps had sprung up since his last recon flight. As more colonists were brought out of stasis, the number of exiles increased, although in smaller numbers than they had before Sara arrived on the scene. He was still amazed by the skill and hard work she put into making the cluster livable for everyone.

Only a handful of new buildings warranted further reconnaissance, and Reyes sent navpoints for all of them to Keema. He itched to explore further, and turned his shuttle north toward Kurinth's Valley. The safe house needed to be checked, and between the injury and the hacking attempts it had been a while since he'd really stretched his legs.

* * *

Jaal's brother had been shot in the back by his sister, three Initiative explosive devices had been disabled, and Sara bit back a sharp word as Akksul threatened Jaal. She felt like she had in that cave in Draullir, Reyes and Sloane facing each other down, and she hated being reminded of that sense of betrayal and helplessness.

Jaal, on the other hand, faced the Roekaar leader calmly. She didn't know how he managed it, but he didn't flinch as Akksul raged about traitors and aliens. When Akksul's anger boiled over and he pulled his rifle on Jaal, her hand flashed to her Carnifex and in a moment the laser sight was lined up on Akksul's eye.

"Don't shoot, Ryder. This is not your fight." Jaal's voice was smooth as she'd ever heard it, and her hand shook as she lowered her weapon. "Akksul, this is a mistake. The Pathfinder and the Initiative are our allies. She rescued the Moshae, made the planet live again. They will join us in the fight against the kett."

Akksul roared in unbridled rage. "And they have taken places on Aya, on Voeld, and here on our homeworld! You are a traitor to our kind, you have refused to see how they take over everything they touch!"

Beside her, Liam shouted wordlessly as Akksul's rifle went off. Sara only just managed to grab him and keep him from throwing himself at the angaran. Her eyes stayed fixed to Jaal's face, and she watched as the bullet grazed his cheekbone and disappeared into the jungle behind him.

Several people screamed. Akksul's face drained of anger, and he slowly backed up, dropping his rifle and shaking with disbelief. A strange hush fell, and the assembled Roekaar quietly turned their backs on their leader and left.

As soon as they were alone, Liam dashed to his friend's side, supporting him as he moved to sit on a nearby rock. Sara pulled her medkit out and quickly cleaned the shallow wound. "I can't believe what just happened. Are you all right?"

Jaal smiled, then winced as the expression obviously pained him. "I am well. I do not think the Roekaar will be much more trouble. And I am told that women appreciate scars."

"You didn't flinch. I thought he was going to kill you." Sara dabbed some medigel on Jaal's face and affixed two butterfly bandages. "How did you know he would miss?"

"I could not know. I could only trust that his anger blinded him." Jaal stood and started back toward Pelaav. "Like you trusted me and chose not to shoot."

"You asked me not to." Sara followed him, Liam close on her heels. "What else would I do?"

She could hear the smile in Jaal's voice. "I am glad to hear you say that. You are learning to trust. Once you become more open with your emotions, you will understand what it means to be angara." He led the way back toward the daara in silence, leaving Sara with Liam's whistling and her thoughts.

* * *

Reyes was bored for the first time in months. The safe house was dark, as he'd expected. He'd checked the water reclamation system, the air filters, and the stocks of basic supplies. Everything was in place, right down to the basic communication console and array. He initialed the log book and headed back outside.

Kurinth's Valley was extremely remote, the rocky landscape showing no sign of any other living being. In the distance, he could see a handful of Remnant pillars. On a whim, Reyes decided to take a walk toward them. He hadn't had much opportunity to examine any Remnant up close, and Sara had waxed almost lyric in her descriptions of the vaults she'd explored. Up until she got to the purification field, of course. But, he told himself, these pillars were probably just left over from whatever town had been there years ago. It was likely perfectly safe to have a look around.

Half an hour later, Reyes gaped at the enormous... _thing_ that had erupted from the ground. Forget hacking into Sloane's console, he thought as he turned and sprinted away from whatever it was. He was going to need Sara's help with whatever that monstrosity might be.

* * *

A/N: Sorry for the long delay between chapters. I took a much-needed vacation and am back at it!


	16. Chapter 16

_Sounds like you found an Architect. At least, that's what Peebee calls them. Of course, she also named her bots Poc and Zap so maybe her method of naming things shouldn't be taken too seriously. Anyway, they're tough to take down, so you didn't 'run away screaming,' you exercised your sense of self-preservation. Totally different._

 _I'm finishing up some work for the research team here on Havarl, and later tonight Jaal's asked me to have dinner with his family. Tomorrow we head back to the Nexus for a supply pickup and probably some last minute lectures from Tann before making our way to Kadara. Somewhere in there, I'm going to spend a little time with Scott, who is extremely curious about you. Would you mind sending me a photo of yourself? He doesn't believe you're real and I'd like to have a picture of you on my desk anyway._

 _Is that weird? I'm sorry if that's weird. Feel free to ignore this. Can't wait to see you again._

* * *

Reyes laughed out loud. Sara might have been a crack shot, a dangerous combat technician, and the most recognizable figure in the Initiative, but he was finding that he liked her best when she was the slightly awkward, enthusiastic twenty-two year old he suspected only a few people really got to see. The warmth and energy that surrounded her was infectious, and the way she mixed sweetness with dry humor captivated him. Even as life improved across Heleus, he still thought of her as a light in darkness.

* * *

 _My ego isn't so fragile that I can't admit to running away. Whatever you call that thing, it's awe-inspiring and more than a little terrifying. I ran like a rabbit and I'm not ashamed to say so._

 _The first of the drops for the new outpost have arrived. Tomorrow I'll be inspecting them and setting patrols to ensure nobody makes off with anything. This may not be a first impression, but the idea is similar. We have only one shot and I don't want the Nexus to be able to find fault with Ditaeon._

 _I hope this photo satisfies your brother's curiosity. Kian took it, if it's blurry it's because he was laughing at me. But now that you have it, I'd like a picture of you in return—but we can talk about that when you get here. I'm counting the hours._

* * *

Sara smiled at the expression on Reyes' face. He was sitting in his usual spot at Tartarus, a combination of amusement and annoyance curving his lips into a small but crooked smile. She traced a finger over the strong line of his jaw, marveling again at how handsome he was. Before she crawled into bed, she sent him a photo Gil had taken weeks before while they had been working on the Nomad. It probably wasn't the sort of picture Reyes had in mind, but at least she wasn't scowling at the camera.

"Pathfinder," SAM said quietly before she could fall asleep. "May I ask you some questions?"

Sara yawned. "Go ahead, but no cheating to keep me awake."

"Why are you nervous about seeing Mr. Vidal?"

Her eyes flew open. "Oh man, SAM. I'm not sure I'm up to this conversation right now. The short answer is that relationships scare me."

"Why? From what I learned from your father, his relationship with your mother brought him more happiness than anything else, with perhaps the exception of you and your brother."

"I haven't known Reyes for thirty years, SAM. This is all new...and if I'm going to be honest with myself as well as you, I'm pretty sure he's out of my league." Sara rolled over onto her side and snuggled further under her blankets. "Plus I had some really rotten experiences when I was just starting out. Between that and the six-hundred-year nap, it's been a while since I trusted someone that much."

"I think I begin to understand. Though from what I've gathered, Mr. Vidal's feelings are likely to be genuine."

"Okay, SAM. New rule: when I'm with Reyes, you go into emergency-only protocol. No talking to me, no logging, and definitely no biometric scanning." She paused. "And don't even think about colluding with Lexi on this one."

"Understood, Pathfinder. May I ask why?"

Sara curled up and closed her eyes. "Because that's not how love and trust work."

"Thank you, Pathfinder. Sleep well."

* * *

Reyes decided that he'd gone completely around the twist. Sara had shown up at Tartarus that morning, armed to the teeth and carrying a new helmet that looked angaran in design. Cora and Peebee had been hot on her heels, the asari practically bouncing with excitement. "Peebee's our Remnant expert, and Cora gets cranky if she can't punch something on a regular basis." The commando's expression had been frosty, and Reyes couldn't be too sure that she wouldn't choose to punch him. "We could use a sniper, though. Want to come along for the ride?"

Now he perched on a Remnant pillar, watching the three women through his sights. Sara, as usual, took charge effortlessly. She surged forward, not in the least concerned by the sheer size of the Architect, ordering Peebee to deploy her bot and Cora to be ready to charge on her command. The air around her seemed to crackle as she manipulated charges and fireballs, keeping up a steady assault on the mech's legs.

After only a few minutes, Sara fell back and switched to her assault rifle. "It's your time to shine, Reyes!"

He heard Cora groan over the commlink, and Peebee giggled. "Look out, it's making babies!" Almost without thinking, he began to pick off the smaller bots that began to crop up and surround Sara. He only just registered Cora and Peebee's biotics flaring blue, and Sara concentrating fire on what he thought might be the Architect's head.

He jumped as the mech let out a metallic shriek and rose up, rippling through the air. "Don't lose it!" Cora called, chambering another round in her shotgun as she gave chase. Sara leapt forward, activating her jump jets and rolling on the landing, quicker than he would have thought possible. Peebee wasn't far behind, reloading her pistols and typing a command to her bot.

Reyes, meanwhile, tracked the Architect's movement. As soon as the conduits on its legs opened, he began to fire. Sara cheered, then launched into full attack, dodging beams of energy and flinging electricity without slowing. He gasped as it blanketed the ground around her with grenades, then sighed with relief as she threw herself clear. If he wasn't insane, he thought, Sara definitely was.

He couldn't have said how long the fight took. Before long, it became a blur of fire, lightning, and bullets with Sara at the eye of the storm, calling orders and ducking attacks. When the mech hit the ground for a third time, he heard her whoop with elation and sprint straight for its mouth. Reyes let out a strangled yell, wanting to tell her to be careful, knowing it was useless. She could clearly handle herself. One hand rested on the Architect's central conduit, the fingers of her other hand flying over the surface of her omnitool, until the sullen red glow of its eyes dulled and it took to the air, undulating against the Kadaran sky.

Sara pulled off her helmet and watched it soar upward, breathing hard from the exertion but with a look of satisfaction on her face. Reyes climbed down from his vantage point to meet her, lost for words when she tossed her helmet aside and kissed him with an intensity that shook him harder than even the Architect's first appearance had.

A piercing whistle from Peebee brought her back to herself, her already pink cheeks flushing deeper as her gaze dropped to Reyes' chest. "Sorry," she murmured, although Reyes wasn't sure who she was apologizing to. "I just have some extra nervous energy, I guess. Let's head back to the port."

"Are you kidding?" Peebee demanded. "There's tons of Remtech here!" She grunted in surprise as Cora elbowed her sharply.

"Pathfinder, I'm sure you and Mr. Vidal have much to discuss regarding the outpost." Cora's expression was serious, but her eyes held a mischievous twinkle. "If he doesn't mind, perhaps the two of you could take his shuttle back while I assist Miss B'Sayle with her salvage."

"Sounds like a plan, Cora." Sara shouldered her assault rifle and locked eyes with Reyes. "The sooner I'm out of this armor, the better." He was suddenly grateful for his own armor, and nodded to Cora as he led Sara to the shuttle.

They flew in silence, Sara stretched out like a cat in the co-pilot's seat. Reyes looked over at her from time to time, but her eyes stayed closed and she appeared to be carefully controlling her breathing.

"I'm glad I joined you today. Otherwise you would have had to kiss Peebee after all that excitement." Reyes guided the shuttle down at Varren's Scalp. "Might have made a man jealous."

Sara laughed quietly. "I don't know what came over me. Sorry if I made you uncomfortable."

"Far from it." He stole a glance at her. "I'd be tempted to drop everything here and follow you if that's how you react to all fights."

She blushed again, scooting down in her seat. "Honestly, I didn't mean to." Drawing her knees to her chest, she buried her face in her hands. "Oh my god, I'm such a nerd. Just...I'm always full of nerves and adrenaline after a fight and I don't know what to do with it."

He shut down the engine core and reached for her hand. "I have a few ideas about that."

"Oh, that was smooth. I see why they call you Shena." Sara hopped down from the shuttle and gazed at him, her eyes dark with something he couldn't quite place.

He couldn't help himself, and he grinned wickedly at her. "That's nothing."

* * *

He couldn't possibly know what he did to her. Sara's pulse pounded out his name, her body thrumming with his nearness. When his lips grazed her ear, she gasped. "Reyes!"

His hands skimmed her hips, guiding her inside the little house. "You are so lovely, Sara, even armed and armored." His voice was low, intense, and set her nerves alight. "But you mentioned wanting to get out of it?"

A wave of heat washed over her, one that had nothing to do with the summerlike air of Kadara. She half turned to him, breath hitching as she met his eyes. No one had ever looked at her like Reyes was just now, and her legs seemed unwilling to obey even the simplest commands.

Reyes must have seen her nervousness, because he kissed her very gently. "Relax, sweetheart. We're not going to do anything you don't want to do." He crossed into the kitchen and filled two glasses with cold water, handing one to her.

She sank down on the loveseat in the living area, exhaling slowly. "I want this, Reyes. I want you. I'm just…" Sara trailed off, searching for words. "You're so sure of yourself, and I hardly know what I'm doing. I'm afraid you'll be disappointed."

Reyes paused after stripping out of his flight jacket. "I've watched you move. I've woken up in the middle of the night thinking about the way you look at me. If you're half as enthusiastic in bed as you are on the battlefield, you're going to wear an old man like me out." He smiled teasingly at her, putting her back on familiar ground.

She rolled her eyes. "Oh yeah, you're ancient. Thirty-one." Emboldened partly by his words and partly by the way his shoulders rippled under his T-shirt, Sara toyed with the clasps on her breastplate. "I think you'll be able to keep up."

He knelt in front of her, fingers deftly unhooking the pieces of her armor until she was down to the simple black undersuit, then sat back on his heels. "I'm afraid you'll have to move before we can take this any farther."

"That's a shame," Sara commented as she rose into a stretch, her arms reaching over her head before she pulled Reyes to his feet. "Turns out I really enjoy seeing you kneel in front of me." She tugged on the hem of his shirt, drawing it up and over his head, then moved flush against him. Her lips met his, her tongue delicately exploring the contours of his mouth before she pulled back again.

His amber eyes raked over her. "I wouldn't have taken you for a tease, Sara." She shivered as she eased down the zipper of her suit and peeled it off, leaving her clad in a thin tank top and a pair of leggings. "Really? You have more clothes on under that thing?"

She giggled softly. "No chafing this way. Trust me, you only want to deal with that once." His laugh answered hers, and he lifted her quickly, groaning as she wrapped her legs around him.

Together they moved into the tiny bedroom, Reyes nipping at her neck and earlobes before easing her down onto his bed. He kicked off his boots and socks and shucked off the heavy canvas pants with his underwear, Sara sitting up to admire the way his muscled shoulders tapered to lean hips and strong legs. A few scars crossed his back, slightly paler than his bronze skin, but the angry red of his last injury still stood out. Her eyes fluttered shut as she breathed in his scent, sharp sweat, warm spice, and something slightly earthy.

"Sara, look at me." She raised her face to his, struck by the play of tenderness and hunger across his features. "Are you still afraid?"

"No," she murmured before reaching up to claim his lips with hers again. "I love you, Reyes."

* * *

A/N: In keeping with 's terms of service, this is an edited version of this chapter. Full version in all its smutty glory available at AO3 under the same pen name.


	17. Chapter 17

Sara, his lover, the Pathfinder, snored. It wasn't terribly loud and it certainly didn't bother him, but there would be no passing it off as deep breathing. Reyes eased himself out from under her arm, heart skipping a beat as she unconsciously inched into the warm space he left behind.

She snored and she'd hog the bed given the opportunity. Interesting.

The sun was no longer streaming through the kitchen window, meaning it was moving into late afternoon. Reyes realized he'd have to wake Sara, she likely had work to do back on the Tempest. He sighed and filled Sara's water glass again, then settled lightly on the edge of the bed.

Lovely didn't begin to cover it, he thought. Her dark hair shone, even in a tangled mess on his pillow. The lone freckle on the bridge of her nose was still adorable. In sleep, all the stress left her face, revealing the delicate line of her jaw and the quiet sadness of her expression. He mentally kicked himself. Sara was always moving, always smiling or shouting or shooting. He should have seen that she was still struggling with the weight of the galaxy, should have known that her constant energy was a mask.

His hand trembled, and a few drops of water splashed on the sheet and soaked through to her before he could stop it. She stirred then, a tangle of linens and legs, and rolled on to her back to squint at him. "Hey, you." Her voice was thick with sleep.

"I'm sorry, dearest." Reyes helped her sit up. "I'd keep you here if I could, but I know you're busy."

She yawned and stretched, then turned a faint pink as she pulled the sheet up to her neck. He smiled at the modesty. "Sorry. Someone distracted me before I could tell you the crew's on shore leave."

"Shore leave less than forty-eight hours before launching an outpost?" If Sara had been anyone else, he wouldn't have believed her. "How did you wrangle that?"

"I told Tann I'd have a mutiny on my hands if I didn't give my crew a break." She laughed quietly. "I didn't say who'd be leading the charge."

Reyes pulled Sara next to him, burying his face in the mess of her hair. "So we have roughly thirty-six hours alone?"

"Doesn't seem like enough, does it?" Sara sighed. "And I'm so tired I could sleep for the whole time." She closed her eyes and wriggled against him, making herself comfortable.

"You work too hard, Sara." He leaned back and worked his thumb in a small circle on her back. "Don't you ever sleep on the Tempest?"

"Of course I do. It's just never enough, you know?" She rolled over again, this time to face him. "There's always something that needs fixing or somebody that needs help. I could go twenty-four hours a day and there would still be people complaining that I'm not doing enough." She exhaled shakily, brushing angrily at her eyes.

"Tann, I take it?" Reyes wound his fingers through her hair.

"Not just him. Hey, I thought I wasn't the Pathfinder here." She laid her head on his shoulder, breathing deeply. "Why are you asking me about work?"

"Because I can tell you're wound a few degrees too tight and it might help you relax if you talk about it. If you don't want to, there are certainly other things we can do."

"Very subtle." Sara gave an experimental wiggle, which Reyes appreciated greatly. "Ouch. That's a bit more sore than I'd thought it would be. I guess six hundred and thirty-odd years of disuse will do that. Rain check?"

"Hey!" he protested. "I wasn't talking about sex! We could go see the sights of Kadara. There's something I want to show you, and you've probably only seen it from the Nomad."

"That would be perfect, actually." She paused, suddenly tense. "Shit."

"Sara, what's wrong?" He put a finger under her chin and tilted her face up.

"I'm going to have to do the walk of shame in my armor." Reyes burst into laughter. "It's not funny! Bad enough that Vetra wouldn't let me hear the end of it last time I was here, it'll be ten times worse now that we've actually…" She trailed off, her furious glare at him somewhat dampened by the deep pink staining her cheeks.

"Now that we've what?" he asked her with all the mock innocence he could summon. "What were you going to say there?"

She huffed, petulantly wrapping herself further in the sheet. "You know exactly what I was going to say."

"Had sex? Banged? Tapped that?" He punctuated each suggestion with a kiss to her ear or neck. "Hit it? Bumped uglies?" Sara swatted him with a pillow. "Fucked?"

"Reyes!" She stifled laughter. "At least tell me you've got some kind of hairbrush here?"

* * *

"You know, normally I get to drive." Sara crossed her legs and peered out behind them at the receding port. "If you let me fly, maybe we could get there faster."

Reyes smiled, lit by the dashboard. "Faster isn't always better. Try enjoying the ride."

Sara knew she wasn't really one for patience. They'd dashed aboard the Tempest, where Sara left most of her weapons as well as her armor. The Carnifex, however, rested in its usual place at her hip. She wasn't about to admit it, but she still didn't feel completely at ease in the badlands. Reyes had only nodded when he saw it. Whether he understood her apprehension or just liked seeing it on her, she didn't know.

They were out by Spirits Ledge now, nearly to the edge of Sara's map. The sun was sinking down to the horizon, long shadows cast across the valleys. The air would cool quickly, and she was grateful she'd chosen to bring her jacket and scarf.

Reyes landed the shuttle atop a small plateau, next to a lookout tower that seemed neglected. "Come on and climb up." He swung a small rucksack over his shoulder and offered his hand to her.

"I'm going to regret not having my jump jets," Sara grumbled. "Today was already pretty exhausting."

"Climbing the old-fashioned way is good for you. Besides, I brought snacks."

"Do you mean those protein bars you live off? How do you not have rickets?" She followed him up the ladder, taking the opportunity to eye Reyes' legs and ass appreciatively.

"Keema occasionally force-feeds me real food. Although angaran cooking is pretty bland." He didn't even have the decency to sound tired. "And yes, these are protein snacks, but they're oatmeal peanut butter flavored."

"How…"

"Vetra told me they were your favorite." He chuckled quietly at her exasperated snort. "Why did you think the Tempest always had a small stock of them?"

"I hadn't thought about it, really. I do know she managed to finesse some Galaxy Swirls past Kesh, though. Says she's saving them for a special occasion. No idea what that means, she can't even eat them."

They reached the top, Reyes digging in a storage crate and bringing out a very worn blanket and shaking it out on the floor. "Kadara at sunset. This was once an Outcast scavenging post, but now I come here to think. Or get away from the smell of the port."

"You were right. I hadn't taken the time to really look at this." Sara sat and hugged her knees to her chest. "Thank you for bringing me here."

Reyes sat next to her, tweaking her ponytail before pulling a thick canvas-wrapped bundle from his rucksack. "There's something I'd like to ask you."

Sara gazed quizzically at him. "What are we doing?"

"Hopefully, sharing a snack while I draw you."

"Draw me?"

He unwrapped the bundle, revealing a sketch pad and case of pencils. "I have that photo you sent, and it's adorable. But when I said I wanted a picture, I meant one that I did myself." He flipped open the cover. "Here, let me show you."

She gasped in admiration as she leafed through the sketches. Keema, lounging on the throne at headquarters. A woman and child, both of whom shared Reyes' nose and brow. The mountain and valley she was currently overlooking. A middle-aged couple, holding hands. Herself, in her armor, sighting down the barrel of a gun. "These are wonderful. Those are your parents?"

"And my older sister as well as my nephew." Reyes' fingers brushed hers. "That sketch of you is from when we took out the Roekaar. It's not what I'd like, but my sketches very rarely are. I had to do it from memory, after...after you realized who I was."

"Is that really how you see me?" she asked quietly.

"Determined, strong, a fighter all the way through?" His arms slipped around her, his face against her hair. "All that and more. I want to draw the other side of you. The woman who sees what could be rather than what is, who radiates joy, who brought light back to the edge of the world."

She choked down a sob, tears trickling down her face, wiping them away before they could smudge Reyes' drawings. "I don't know what to say."

He held on a little tighter. "I'm sorry. I didn't realize that would be so painful for you. I just wanted you to see how I felt."

She collapsed, then, ugly sobs tearing from her although she didn't know entirely why she was crying. "I don't deserve this."

"Shhh," he whispered. "You've been working too hard with too little rest. Look around you. This place is livable because of you."

"I didn't do any of it on my own, I had help. And you're the one looking out for the people here, not me. I know you've been funding the soup kitchen and keeping an eye on Oblivion sales. All I do is punch aliens and robots."

Reyes traced his fingers along her ribs, stopping when she squirmed. "You make me a better man. Still a shady bastard, but nobody's perfect. Not even you, Sara, even though I think you're about as close as a person can get."

A fresh flood of tears broke loose at that. "I shouldn't even be here. I should have died on Habitat 7."

"What?"

"My helmet shattered when I fell from the Remnant monolith. My father…" Sara swallowed hard. "My father sacrificed himself and transferred SAM to me to make sure I lived. People have stopped telling me how fucked we are now that I'm Pathfinder instead of him, but I wonder how many are still thinking it."

Reyes hissed. "Someone said that to you?"

She hiccuped. "I can't blame them. Nothing in Andromeda has gone right, why should this be any different?"

"Who?" His voice was hard, angry. "Who would do that to you?"

"Does it matter?" Sara sniffled. "I shouldn't let it bother me anyway, but here I am, crying like a little girl."

"You're grieving, Sara. You lost your father. Almost lost your brother. Unless I'm very wrong about you, you haven't really processed that. You've just added stress upon stress." He massaged her neck, working down her shoulders. "You need to let it go, somehow."

"I think I'm okay now." She leaned against Reyes, taking solace in his solidity and warmth. "I hadn't realized how tense I was. Thanks. For putting up with me. Some date I am."

"Don't say that." His arms once again slipped around her waist. "This is what lovers do."

"Is that what we are?" Sara winced at how thready her voice sounded and wiped her face on her scarf.

"As long as you'll have me." He nuzzled her neck, and she could feel his smile.

"You know I'm going to hold you to that, right?"

"I look forward to it."


	18. Chapter 18

Reyes had to fight down laughter as he watched Sara address the settlers at Ditaeon. She had complained up a storm about having to wear her Initiative uniform, saying that blue and white really weren't her colors. She'd scowled blackly at Cora when the lieutenant had cornered her and more or less forced her to put on more makeup. Unfortunately for Sara, Peebee had been lying in wait, and between the two biotics Sara was now wearing a full face of what she termed pancake batter.

He had to admit that Sara looked great, although she'd probably make a face at him for saying so. More than a few of the colonists assembled had thrown admiring glances at her, and he would guess that not all of them were strictly due to her exploits. Reyes beat back the jealousy that threatened, rationalizing that Sara probably didn't even notice the admiration and would absolutely scoff at it if she by some chance did.

"For many of us, our time in Andromeda has become synonymous with second chances. Our settlement on Eos, joining the angara in their fight against the kett, and now, here on Kadara, a chance to reconcile the Nexus with those who were exiled. We have all made mistakes, but we have learned from them and are here to try again. We will move forward together, and we will be stronger for it."

Her military posture served her well, and despite the fears she'd confessed to him, her voice rang with an authority that made her seem older than her twenty-two years.

"I have faith in every single one of you here today. Let us raise the flag of Ditaeon, and remember every day what it symbolizes. Thank you."

Applause broke out as she stepped back to allow Addison to speak, and Reyes noticed that she fidgeted slightly, probably embarrassed by the attention. He reached over to clap her on the back, wishing that he wasn't limited to such strictly platonic contact. Rubbing the bruised spot on his shoulder where she'd bitten him, he acknowledged that there was certainly something to be said for the charm of a powerful woman.

They'd agreed that it wasn't the time to reveal their relationship to the Initiative, even if it was an open secret on the Tempest and throughout the port. Reyes wasn't sure how he could keep from taking her hands at every turn, or from using her name as a caress every time he spoke to her. Even this little ceremony was a challenge.

Addison was wrapping up, he noticed with a start. Something about the hard lives of colonists, something about forgiveness. He held back a snort. Tiran Kandros had shook his hand before the speeches, and while the militia leader had been polite, he'd also been very firm. Reyes hadn't planned on antagonizing him, but had sized him up strictly out of reflex. Kandros was turian military through and through. If the Collective overstepped their bounds, Reyes thought, Kandros wouldn't show the slightest scrap of mercy. In a way, he could respect that.

Desultory applause followed Addison, Reyes noting with some twisted pleasure that it was lukewarm at best. The colonial director's face was locked in a perpetual grimace, which made it hard to read, but he could guess that she wasn't happy about Sara's choice of words. Not that she had anyone to blame but herself. Sara wouldn't have chosen to make a speech unless directly asked.

As if she could hear his thoughts, Sara turned to face him. "Mr. Vidal," she started, politely enough if one wasn't looking for the gleam of devilry in her eyes. "Would you meet me aboard the Tempest? I have a few final things I wish to discuss with you before I leave Kadara."

"Certainly, Pathfinder." Reyes gave her his best business-contact smile. She turned on her heel and strode off to greet the newly-elected mayor of Ditaeon, and he slipped away to oblige her.

* * *

At least Initiative politics didn't require her to kiss any babies, Sara reflected as she returned to her ship. After three hours of speeches, handshaking, and "general schmoozing" (Gil's words), she was itching to take her boots off and give her professional smile a rest. The cargo bay was empty, and she dropped her socks in the wash cycle before sighing in relief at the door to her quarters.

When the door slid open, she wasn't surprised to find Reyes standing at her desk, examining the model ships she'd begun to collect. He'd disappeared some time between Tate's over-enthusiastic handshake and Addison's stuffy remonstrances. Sara walked up behind him, resting her chin on his shoulder and wrapping her arms around him. "I hate ceremonies. Thanks for meeting me here."

"Of course. Now, what did you want to discuss?" Reyes sounded uncertain, which surprised Sara. Normally the man was damn near unflappable.

"Nothing terribly pressing," Sara reassured him, burying her face in his neck and breathing in deeply. "Just that this Initiative uniform is entirely too constricting and I could use a hand in getting out of it. And I wanted a proper goodbye, no 'business contact' crap with Addison watching."

She loved his laugh, warm and rich like late afternoon sun. "I am very good with my hands." He turned to face her, studying her carefully. "But I want to admire you first."

Sara blushed. "I don't know how you do it, but you make me feel naked whenever you look at me like that. Like you're seeing everything about me."

"It's just a habit I've gotten into, working the way I do." His voice was gentle. "But it has its benefits. I want to remember everything about you."

"I'm not complaining." She pulled off her shirt, wishing she had some lingerie that wasn't cotton. "You make me feel special."

"Then I'm doing something right." He let his hands slide down her shoulders to her waist. "And that's quite a compliment, by the way. You, on the other hand, have the sort of smile that makes other people want to smile."

Sara pressed her lips to his neck, then brought them up to his ear as she unbuckled his belt. "If we're going to have a battle of flattery, I should just surrender now, shouldn't I? You are the king of smooth."

"I can be gracious in victory. Did you know that you have beautiful eyes? Especially up close, when I can see the green in them." His face was barely an inch from hers, and she burned with need. She dipped her head and eased his trousers off.

"They're nothing like yours," she murmured. "Amber, full of light. Like an FTL burn."

Reyes laughed again, undoing the button on her pants. "I didn't know there was poetry in ship engines. Do you always find beauty in everything?"

"It's a lot easier when I'm with you, Reyes." He kissed her, then, and she pulled away long enough to step out of her uniform.

"I see I'm going to have to step up my game." Sara watched as he followed her lead, letting a smirk crawl over her face as his shirt came off. "Or would you rather I used my mouth for other things?"

"Depends on what you mean by that, Shena," she smiled as she pushed him down to her bed and straddled him, rolling her hips and shuddering with pleasure at the hardness of him. She leaned forward, molding herself against him, working her lips and tongue over the pulse points on his neck. Sara was deliciously aware of the wetness between her legs, the heat he could no doubt feel, but she wanted to savor this.

"Fuck," Reyes panted, gripping her by the hips and pushing against her. "Right now you could ask me to do anything."

"Anything?" She leaned back, hands lightly resting on his shoulders. His skin was burnished with desire and his chest rose and fell with each rough breath. Her own pulse was racing, her voice lower, she hardly knew herself in the moment.

"Anything."

"Remind me that I'm your woman." Sara swiftly reached behind her back and unhooked her bra. "And take your time."

"Once I've done that, we are going to work on your negotiating skills." Reyes sat up swiftly, thrusting his hips up to grind against her core. She gasped, leaning into him, letting his teeth graze her neck. "And that will be a pleasure for both of us."

* * *

"Persephone."

"Hmm?" Sara was curled on her side, Reyes tracing the dots and lines that made up her tattoo.

"Depending on which myth you choose to believe, she fell in love with the god of the underworld. She brought spring and life with her, but she had to regularly leave her lover and visit the rest of the world." He sat up, gazing out the viewport. "Kind of like you."

"I'm familiar with the mythology." Sara turned her head to smile at him, and it felt like sunlight. "You're saying you're a god now?"

"I'm handsome enough, aren't I?" He threaded his fingers through hers. "Besides, I'm not just saying I'm godlike, I'm also implying that you're a goddess."

Sara made a strangled sound, halfway between a laugh and a snort. "If you get any cheesier I'm going to have to serve you with wine. Ridiculous flattery aside, why are we discussing mythology?"

"Because I need to rename my shuttle and calling it 'Pathfinder' or 'Sara' would be a little on the nose."

Her brow furrowed. "Isn't that a little like getting my name tattooed on your ass?"

"Would you rather I did that?" He wiggled an eyebrow at her. "I know a guy." Despite the light answer, her concern twisted at him.

"No. Your ass is perfect and you wouldn't be able to sit for a week." She sighed and sat up to gaze intently at him. "I just...worry. Even with how well everything is going between us. No, especially with how well everything is going. I've spent so long on the edge that I think I'm waiting for the other shoe to drop and something like that seems like it's just inviting disaster."

"In that, I aim to disappoint." Reyes traced her tattoo again. "But to answer your question, I suppose it's a little like that. Except that I have a good feeling about this, and following my gut instincts has served me pretty well thus far."

"Then...do it. But promise me something." She pressed a kiss to his shoulder.

"What is it?" he asked, smoothing her hair back.

"Don't ever get an ass tattoo, my name or otherwise."

"There goes my idea for your birthday present."

* * *

The med bay was normally cold, but seemed unusually so as Sara sat on the exam table, idly swinging her feet and waiting for Lexi to finish washing her hands.

"Pathfinder, you're in excellent health, physically speaking." The doctor didn't quite meet her eyes. "I do have one small concern, though."

"Spit it out, Lexi." Sara was anxious to get back to searching for Meridian.

"Well…" Lexi seemed to be having trouble finding the words for what she wanted to say. "I'm aware you've been having trouble sleeping, are irritable with the crew, and have engaged in some reckless behavior. I'm worried that you're suffering from mild depression. SAM, do you have any insight?"

There was a significant pause.

"It's okay, SAM," Sara said quietly. "We can talk about this."

"The Pathfinder's serotonin levels are low, however, I am more concerned with the specific areas of her brain that process fear and worry. The patterns I am seeing are indicative of an anxiety disorder, rather than depression."

"That's very helpful, SAM, thank you." Lexi's hands twisted together. "Pathfinder, my professional recommendation is that you schedule regular meetings to discuss how you're handling the stresses of your occupation."

Sara choked down a harsh reply. "I understand, Lexi, and you're probably right, but...can't SAM alter my brain chemistry so I don't feel it as much?"

"I would consider that a breach of my design, Pathfinder. Also, I am sure Dr. T'Perro and others who are far less understanding than she would see that as an attempt on my part to control your thought processes. I cannot allow that."

"Damn right," Lexi muttered, then continued in her usual brisk tone. "Perhaps it would help if the doctor you spoke with wasn't a presence on your crew?"

"I hardly have time to sleep, let alone talk to some shrink," Sara complained. "Can't I just take something?"

"You should be evaluated thoroughly, Miss Ryder," the normally patient doctor snapped. "And if you have as little time as you say, it is even more important that you take your mental health seriously."

Sara sat up straighter, guiltily thinking of the hour she'd spent leaking snot all over Reyes' jacket. "I'm sorry, Lexi. What do you suggest?"

"I'll get in touch with Dr. Carlyle. He's been taking excellent care of your brother, and it would probably be good for you to have regular visits with Scott, too, not a half hour snatched here and there after being chewed out by Director Addison."

"That's a much better solution than I was expecting." She fidgeted, then smiled apologetically. "Thanks, Lexi."

"People care about you, Pathfinder." Lexi gave her a rare smile. "It's my job to look after you, but this is about more than that."

Sara sighed. "Who ratted me out?"

"Vetra and Jaal first, then Liam, Kallo, Gil, Suvi, Cora, Peebee, and even Drack."

"Shit," Sara grumbled. "I can't argue with that. Why bring it up now, Lexi?"

The doctor peered at Sara, apparently trying to figure out if she was about to poke a sleeping eiroch. "Because Reyes Vidal is either the best or worst thing to happen to you in this galaxy, and we're all still trying to figure that one out."


	19. Chapter 19

Who, Reyes asked himself silently, would be so cruel as to name their child Christmas? And did that have any effect on how overblown and generally annoying the man had turned out to be?

After what seemed like hours, Tate was winding up his proposal to send mining survey teams into parts of Draullir. Reyes had to admit that the weathered old guy knew his stuff, and refocused his attention on the mayor of Ditaeon.

"As you can understand, Mr. Vidal, my colleagues are somewhat nervous about exploring the caves. Some unsavory rumors have circulated, and a Collective contingent present on the survey would hopefully smooth over any potential for miscommunication."

The man, despite his long-winded speech pattern, had a point. "Sending two agents along would be prudent. When would you like to complete the preliminaries?"

"It should take three or so days to ensure we have the necessary supplies and send for anything from the Nexus. Say a round five days, in case any inconsistencies arise." The older man beamed, and Reyes suffered a pang of guilt for his earlier internal monologue.

"Two Collective agents will report to the Ditaeon research lab at 0800 that morning. Best of luck." Reyes stood to take his leave, but Tate stopped him.

"I'm afraid not just any agents will do, Mr. Vidal. Given the nature of the rumors, and the trust we've built, I'd much prefer that you accompany the team."

Reyes managed to keep his expression smooth, even if his shoulders tensed up. "Of course." With a final nod to the researchers, he strolled out into the bright sunlight. Was this the sort of thing Sara dealt with on a daily basis? People insisting that she handle their problems, despite plenty of other capable people around? No wonder she threatened Tann with a mutiny of her own. Reyes only wished she'd been able to take more time for leave.

He missed her. More than that, a sense of unease gnawed at him. Only part of it was due to the fact that Reyes didn't want to return to Draullir. Making the choice to kill Sloane hadn't been easy, and even though Sara was back in his life, he didn't want to remember what it had been like to see her walk away. They hadn't discussed what took place that day, and while he knew the conversation would have to happen eventually, time with Sara was too precious for now.

Someday, maybe. When things were stable and Sara could take a week off, maybe two. He stuck his hands in his pockets and frowned. When had he become a wishful thinker? He shook his head and made his way back to Tartarus before going to see Keema.

The port was bustling with activity as Reyes crossed the market. A few sets of eyes followed him, which wasn't anything unusual. As a rule, Reyes was more worried about the tails he didn't notice.

When he stepped inside headquarters, he unknowingly let out a sigh of relief. Something didn't feel right, but he couldn't figure out what it was. A he made his way to the throne room, the feeling of unease worsened. Keema wasn't on her chair. No new messages had come in. Reyes shook his head at the guard, then backtracked to the holding cells.

Kaetus was still slumped there and chose not to acknowledge Reyes' presence. The former Outcast lieutenant still retained traces of defiance and dignity, and Reyes didn't have time to waste, not today.

A quiet blip from his omnitool put him on high alert. It was a message from Sara, a single line asking him to call her as soon as possible. Without a word, Reyes turned back toward Tartarus. He pinged Keema, asking her to check in when possible. The message was unlike Sara, and only deepened his worry.

* * *

"Pathfinder, I do not think a cocktail before meeting with Dr. Carlyle is advisable."

"Shut up, SAM." Sara opened the door to the Vortex. "I hate talking about my feelings, my boyfriend's a crime lord, and my so-called boss just told me not to go after the one thing that could really make a difference here. Oh, and I just exiled someone for crimes against kroganity. And that's not including the fact that my mother, who I thought died years ago, is alive and in stasis! I've got an hour to kill, and one drink won't kill me."

"Kroganity is not a word, Pathfinder, but I realize I cannot stop you."

Sara groaned. The AI was designed to be adaptive, but damned if she knew where it was adapting its snotty attitude from. Probably her, she knew, but she pushed the thought firmly to the back of her mind and approached the bar.

Dutch was as happy to see her as he ever was, which was to say he restrained from rolling his eyes. "Pathfinder. What'll it be?"

Sara crossed her arms on the bar before burying her head in them. "You got the makings for a Dirty Squirrel today, Dutch?"

"Thanks to your team, yes." He bustled behind the bar for a moment before plunking a glass down in front of her. "That's ten credits."

Without looking up, she keyed the transaction into her omnitool. "There's an extra ten credits in it for you if you can keep anyone from talking to me."

"A woman after my own heart. Consider it done."

Sara picked her head up and swirled her drink, inhaling the scent of asari brandy and something vaguely like hazelnuts. She was ashamed that she'd stepped aside and let Tann choose Spender's punishment, because for all her efforts to bring the exiles back, she was now directly responsible for one of their number. So much for second chances, she thought bitterly. She couldn't even begin to process how she felt about the news regarding her mother.

Despite the tip she'd just given Dutch, she drained the glass in two swallows and abruptly stood to leave. Liam, Peebee, and Gil waved from a corner table, but she didn't notice as she walked blindly toward the tram.

As she rode toward the Hyperion's habitation deck, she sent a short message to Reyes, asking if he was free to talk. A few people smiled and waved, and Sara simply nodded in response, making her way quickly toward the Pathfinder's quarters. She simply didn't have the energy to make small talk.

She fell into one of the chairs, breathing deeply with the techniques Cora had sent her. Her omnitool buzzed, and she sat bolt upright, opening the message, hoping against hope that Reyes had responded. Sara slumped back when she realized it was from Pathfinder Hayjer, asking her to join him, Avitus, and Vederia in the tech lab later that day. After sending an acknowledgement, she stood and paced the small apartment, restlessly running through the day over and over again.

This time, when her omnitool alerted her, it was Reyes calling. She answered immediately, relieved to hear his voice, even if it was a lousy connection.

"Sara. Is everything all right?" He sounded worried, and that scared her enough to put a brave face on.

"Yeah. Yeah, I guess it is. I'm sorry to bother you." She blew out a deep breath, and forced herself to sound calmer than she was. "I'm just about to go meet with a shrink...I'm nervous."

"Good." His voice was emphatic. "You need to talk about the things that bother you."

"Ugh, talking about things is the worst." Sara flopped back on a chair, trying to picture Reyes in his room at Tartarus. "Everything okay on Kadara?"

"As far as I can tell, although I have a feeling something's not right." Reyes paused, and when he continued his voice was slightly strained. "Tate asked me to help out a mining survey team. I'm not really looking forward to going back to Draullir."

Sara winced. "I can't blame you. Listen...you should know this. A former Initiative assistant director, William Spender, will probably end up in Kadara Port in the next few days. We caught him trying to sabotage the krogan colony and threw him out. I don't think he has many friends among the exiles, but he might try something stupid anyway."

"Is that why you called?" He knew. Somehow, Reyes always knew.

"I feel so damned guilty about it," she blurted. "Not even a week ago, I was talking about peace and second chances and now I'm no better than Tann or Addison or anyone else who banished the mutineers in the first place."

"Sara." The strain in his voice became even clearer. "What aren't you telling me?"

"It's complicated. And it's family stuff. I promise, I'll tell you, but I really need to talk to Scott about it first."

"I can understand that. Is Scott okay?"

"Getting better every day. Today they let him put on armor for the first time." And with that, Sara let herself talk about anything but what was really bothering her.

* * *

Reyes stared at the bottom of his glass, wishing he hadn't imposed a three-drink maximum on himself. Sara had called again, and he wasn't sure how to face what she'd told him. She would be going after Meridian, despite direct orders. She knew that she'd be facing the Archon's fleet and the Remnant's defenses besides. He'd reminded her of her promise, then, and she'd unleashed another secret.

Her mother was alive. In cryostasis, to keep her disease from progressing. He'd never seen Sara so angry. Although, he acknowledged, she certainly had reason to be. Reyes had made his peace with knowing he'd never see his family again. He couldn't imagine mourning a loved one, then learning they were still alive but out of reach.

His fear for her could be all consuming, if he let it. He had the best intelligence network in the cluster available to him. She hadn't asked, but Reyes considered putting it to use to see what he could dig up about eezo-related illness. He shook his head, as if to clear the thought from his head. That would be a breach of her trust. Bad enough that he'd received a forceful reminder of Sara's reaction the last time that happened. He wouldn't risk it again.

Reyes set down his glass, rather more forcefully than was necessary. He decided to throw himself into business. The Draullir base needed to be updated on security protocols before a bunch of Initiative miners bumbled their way. He dispatched emails to Lynx, Vero, and Crux, emphasizing the need for nonviolence. He checked with his contacts on Elaaden, things were apparently humming along there. Annea was still in a snit about the water, but Reyes wasn't terribly concerned about her.

Rubbing his temples, he realized it had been several hours since he'd asked Keema for a status update. Something was wrong. Reyes grabbed his pistol from its secret compartment and headed for the docks.


	20. Chapter 20

Once he was aboard his shuttle, Reyes keyed in several access codes to the dash and brought up his master map of Kadara. There were two places he thought would be worth checking before sending out an alert.

The first, out by Sulfur Springs, turned out to be a group of Resistance soldiers training for mountainous terrain. Once he identified himself as Shena, they were more forthcoming with information, but ultimately didn't know anything that would help him. He thanked them and climbed back into the cockpit, gritting his teeth with disappointment.

The daily reports were coming in. All seemed normal at the Draullir base, the safe house in the slums, and the secondary ops center on Elaaden. Ditaeon patrols reported no anomalies. Vero's strike team had been handling some delicate business on Eos, but would return within a few hours.

He hoped that calling the team in wouldn't be necessary, but as he approached the second site he realized that going in alone was an exercise in bad decisions. Setting his shuttle down over the ridge just south of the structure, he began to assemble his sniper rifle, hoping he wouldn't need to use more than the scope. Before he could do more than sight, a message came through with Keema's personal cipher tag.

 _Lab compromised. Awaiting sequence Echo. All approach._

He blanched at the words. Keema was at the Spirits Ledge interrogation chamber, and whatever had happened, the situation was dire enough to warrant setting off the EMP failsafe. She was calling for all available backup.

Whatever was hiding over the next ridge could wait. Reyes didn't bother breaking down the weapon, instead flicking on the safety and tossing it in the co-pilot's seat. His mind was racing: how had the interrogation chamber been compromised? What the hell was Keema thinking? Opening a comm, he snapped out an approach vector and estimated arrival time. He'd been flying quickly earlier, but now he was stretching the limits of what the shuttle could do in atmosphere, and still he was afraid he was taking too long.

Reyes didn't bother trying for stealth. Keema's vehicle sat outside the station, but other than that things looked clear. As he set down the shuttle, his comm crackled to life. "Vidal, I'm about a click away with a cleanup crew." He was relieved, Lynx was one of the most levelheaded fighters in the Collective and a specialist in close-quarters combat. She'd be excellent backup.

Still, the few minutes it would take for her team to arrive were precious. Reyes positioned himself and switched his scope to heat signature, hoping that Keema was the only angaran in the room.

He wasn't that lucky, but he was able to tell that of the six figures in the room, four were definitely not Keema. At the bottom of his next exhale, he targeted the lowest signature and squeezed the trigger. Not taking the time to see if the bullet struck its mark, he moved to the next lowest and fired again. By the time he'd chambered the next round, he knew that two were down and the rest were moving too erratically to risk shooting.

Cold anger roiled in him, and he drew his assault rifle as he neared the building. Reyes could hear the whine of Lynx's vehicle approaching, beyond that, the rushing of the wind over Spirits Ledge. Shouts came from within the structure, and he moved into position behind the door as he barked the security override command.

Keema's voice answered him, calling out the voice prompt that would trigger the EMP. It was only a low-grade one, but it would be enough to briefly incapacitate any organics within. He'd have to move quickly. When his eyes adjusted to the dark, he saw that Keema's personal assistant was dead at his feet, her throat slit and the unnervingly bright blue blood puddled around her. Of the three remaining, one was a Collective agent, and he turned to ice when he realized that the promising salarian he'd noticed on several occasions was likely their informant. Charo, that was his name.

He heard the distinctive clack of a shotgun being racked, and raised a hand. "Lynx, you're with me. The rest of the team, fan out and let us know if anyone else approaches."

One of Lynx's agents began to protest, but the woman cut him off. "Vidal just gave you an order, Inixus. Move!"

The asari, who Reyes now recognized as a former Outcast named Tissa, was stirring. He hauled her up to a seated position and crouched in front of her. "Hello there, Tissa." He kept his face impassive, knowing most people found a lack of expression scarier than rage. "Why don't you tell me what you hoped to accomplish here?"

* * *

Sara stood on the bridge of the Tempest, white-knuckle grip on the railing as they sailed into the storm of kett ships surrounding Meridian. Suvi was feeding Kallo vectors, her blue eyes darting everywhere as she took in information that made Sara dizzy. "I hope Pathfinder Hayjer was right about this," Sara said, compulsively checking her weapons for the fifth time.

"Hayjer is one of the most capable pilots I know," Kallo responded, his voice crackling with stress. "If he says the Ghost Storm technology will work, it will. However, it's only buying us just enough time to make a flyby. Be ready for a drop."

"Right. Peebee, Vetra, you're with me?" Sara tore herself from the viewport and headed to the airlock, taking deep breaths to calm herself. It's just a drop, she told herself. It's not going to be like Habitat 7.

Gil thumped her on the shoulder. "All systems green, Ryder. Just watch your rate of descent, kinetic shields should take care of the rest."

Peebee balanced precariously between excitement and apprehension. "Normally, Ryder, I'd be thanking you for bringing me along on a mission like this. An entire Remnant city! I have to say, though, these kett ships look like they mean business."

Before she could respond, Vetra chimed in. "Come on, Peanut Butter. You're the foremost Remnant scholar in the Initiative and a damn good shot to boot. What are you scared of?"

The asari squeaked in surprise. "If you're trying to appeal to my ego, Vee, I'll have you know...ah, crap, it worked. I feel better now, thanks!"

Sara laughed with Vetra, although it was mostly nerves. "Kallo, we're ready to jump on your signal."

"Acknowledged, Pathfinder. Ready to deploy in three, two, one."

She would deny it later, but Sara screamed once on the way down before SAM took pity on her and activated her jump jets. The Remnant city was a dark, yawning abyss before her, and it was up to the three of them to make it live again.

"Meridian…" Peebee was in awe. "Ryder, it's... _beautiful."_

"Dangerous things usually are." Sara thought of Reyes' smile. "Come on, let's move before the kett realize what we've done."

* * *

The only comfort Reyes could find was that the interrogation didn't last long. When he had begun to snap Tissa's fingers, Charo spilled what he knew. The asari's screams echoed in his mind. Torture may have been occasionally necessary, but as a rule Reyes tried to distance himself from it. Knowing it was needed and being able to stomach it were two different things.

The breach wasn't nearly as bad as it could have been. Charo and Tissa had been working together since the Collective takeover, hoping to find the Charlatan's identity and leverage it into power. They had ambushed Keema, sacrificing one of their own as an informant, in order to draw the real one out. No one else knew what they were up to, and neither of them could identify any remaining Outcast cells. Now they and their angaran friend had "disappeared," to use Lynx's word for it.

Murdered, Reyes thought. It was one thing to kill someone in the heat of battle, he'd done it plenty of times himself. It was different to shoot someone between the eyes when they were handcuffed and blindfolded.

Was he any different from Sloane? He ruminated on the subject as he returned to Tartarus with a groggy and withdrawn Keema. He could tell himself that he didn't charge protection fees, and he didn't indulge in public beatings, but in the end didn't he rule by fear and violence? Wasn't that the point of being a nameless entity?

"It had to be done." Keema had spoken very little since the EMP went off. Reyes wasn't sure, but he thought the angaran's natural bioelectricity had overloaded somewhat. He hadn't pushed. She would talk about what had happened in her own time and in her own way.

"I know it was necessary. That doesn't mean I like it." Reyes opened the door to his room and made sure Keema got to a chair before she collapsed. "I haven't had to actually kill anyone in weeks. I was hoping we'd moved past that."

"Price of being on top," Keema grunted, eyes still closed and skin grayer than usual. Reyes ducked out to the main bar and returned with a packet of nutrient paste. "Someone will always be gunning for you. You of all people should know that."

"You're right, of course." Reyes ran his hands through his hair and sighed in defeat. "Eat something and rest up. We can't have you at headquarters looking like rylkor bait."

"You're being too kind. I probably look like rylkor shit." He sighed in relief. If Keema was joking, she'd be okay.

* * *

"This isn't Meridian." Sara wiped her forehead with the back of her hand and winced when she realized it wasn't just sweat. "Meridian is gone."

"The Archon was wrong, then." Vetra slumped for the first time since Sara had met her. "What now?"

"We keep looking," Peebee said, her voice unsteady. "Come on, Ryder, there's got to be something."

She didn't know where to start, but that wasn't her only problem. "SAM, can you scan the logs and see if there's any recorded flight path?"

"Yes, Pathfinder, but I am also detecting many inbound kett lifeforms, and several kett ships."

Vetra let loose a stream of invective. "Ryder, have you considered the possibility that you are the world's unluckiest being?"

"Many, many times. SAM, think we can activate some of the Remnant's defenses?" Sara slammed a fresh clip into her Avenger and placed a hand over the console.

She was rewarded to see several turrets come to life and turn on the kett, orange and gold light streaking across the dark city. "Peebee, Vetra, I need you two alert and covering me. Once SAM has the flight path, we're going to make a run for it."

Peebee nodded, reloading her pistol and motioning to Poc. "We've got this. I think. Is one of the incoming kett a fiend?"

"There is also a Remnant Destroyer, Miss B'Sayle. Pathfinder, I have located the flight path and have exported a copy to the Tempest. I advise you leave straightaway."

"Well." Sara blew out a deep breath. "Let's go, then."


	21. Chapter 21

"I say this out of love, because you're my sister and all that, but here: you're mad. Insane. Certifiable." Scott glared at Sara across the Hyperion's Pathfinder quarters. "You're lucky you're not dead!"

"I died twice already, remember?" Sara shot back, crossing her arms and barely concealing the stress she felt. "I'm more or less invincible now. At least, I'm pretty sure how that works."

"Oh, now that's just not fair. Does Harry know you're using your twisted sense of humor as a coping mechanism?" Scott flopped on the couch and buried his face in his hands, then looked back up at Sara grumpily.

"I haven't seen him yet today. Does he know you were out late last night with my Remnant expert?" She didn't bother suppressing her strained giggle at her twin's expression. "Gil caught her sneaking back onto the ship. He thought it would freak me out to know you went on a date."

Scott shook his head. "No deflecting! What you're talking about is crazy and you know it." His glare cracked, and for a second Sara could see the worry behind it. Relenting, she sat down next to her brother and gave him a squeeze.

"Sorry, Scott. It's just...for a second we had the Archon running. And if Suvi's right about this, we can get to Meridian before he does, stop him from using it against us." She bit her lip. "I have to take some risks, little bro. I know it's hard for you, and trust me, if you were fit for duty there's no one I'd rather have backing me up on this one. But we need to move fast."

"Yeah, I know. It's just hard to be left behind." Scott's voice was soft, and Sara's heart twisted. "Harry and I talked about that, you know. I told him that I feel like I ought to be doing more."

"And what did Harry say about that?" Sara had a guess, but she wanted to hear her brother say it.

"That my job was to get back to full health and strength. And that I couldn't measure my own success against anyone else's, or I'd drive myself even crazier." He sighed and his shoulders slumped even further. "Easier said than done."

"I believe it." There was a knock on the door, and Sara glanced at Scott for approval before calling them to come in.

Cora entered, with Suvi hot on her heels. "Ryder, Director Tann wants to see you. Immediately."

"Can it wait for a little over an hour? I have an appointment with Dr. Carlyle, and I'm pretty sure Lexi will back me up on this one." Sara groaned in disgust when Cora shook her head, her lips almost white. "Suvi, can you keep Scott company?"

"Normally I'd say yes, Pathfinder, but I'm to accompany you." Suvi's eyes were wide and her voice shook slightly. "Cora will stay with your brother."

"He's right here, and he doesn't need a babysitter, you know," Scott grumbled. Cora arched an eyebrow. "Not that I don't appreciate the gesture!"

"Come on." Sara gestured to Suvi. "Let's see what Tann wants."

* * *

Keema was sitting on the throne as Reyes crept into headquarters, wincing at the early hour and thinking longingly of his coffeemaker. And of Sara, in his kitchen in only his shirt.

"Good morning, old friend," Keema greeted him. Although she hadn't completely abandoned her usual posture, there was a tension in the way she held her cigar and a stiffness in her neck that told him something was wrong. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

Reyes eyed the two guards, then gave the simplest answer he could think of. "Checking stocks before assignment today." Her jaw tightened, subtly for an angaran. Reyes doubted the guards noticed, but continued anyway. "I have this evening free. Meet me in Tartarus for a drink tonight? You've probably been working too hard." He was relieved to see her pose loosen just a tiny bit, and waved as he retreated to what had functioned as Sloane's office.

Reyes hadn't been lying. As a rule, telling a partial truth was almost always preferable to making something up. Keema knew it as well as he did. But before he could dig into Sloane's personal console again, a chime from his omnitool let him know that Keema had sent him a message.

 _Your lover is planning something insane. You should talk to her._

A knot formed in his gut. Sara hadn't called him since she'd returned from her chase for Meridian. All he'd gotten so far was a note saying that it wasn't what she'd thought, but she was alive and relatively unhurt. His worry for her clashed with his anger at finding out she was up to something through Keema.

 _How much do you know?_

Reyes concentrated on keeping his face neutral as he sauntered out to the storage closet to double-check supplies for the day. He grabbed a canteen, a couple of protein sludge packs, and a spare magazine before slouching down onto a crate, only a few feet away from the spot where Sara had kissed him. The memory assaulted him, and for a moment he was sure he could smell the vaguely floral shampoo she used, could feel the warmth of her back under his hands. He missed her, plain and simple.

 _Her friend Jaal is worried about her. Stay clear, Vidal._

That in itself wasn't unusual. Sara had mentioned that Jaal could be a bit fussy when it came to the crew. But that Keema had seen fit to pass it on to him worried Reyes more than he would admit. Opening his omnitool again, he penned a short message to Sara.

 _Keema says you're up to something crazy. I'm heading into Draullir with the mining team. You'd better still be alive to call me tonight._

Reyes gritted his teeth and strode back toward the slums. Focus, he told himself. She promised she'd always come back.

* * *

Sara raised her chin and met Tann's gaze, but resisted the urge to step protectively in front of Suvi. "You needed to speak with me?" She immediately regretted her tone, if only for her friend's sake. Beside her, Suvi clutched her datapad but didn't flinch.

"Pathfinder," he acknowledged her, though the lines of his mouth indicated some distaste. "And Dr. Anwar. It's been brought to my attention that you disobeyed direct orders by trying to find Meridian."

"That's true." Sara wasn't about to give him an inch. The smaller woman, however, trembled noticeably. "Though I think your problem may be with me, and not my science officer."

Tann's mouth thinned even further, and he drummed his fingers on his desk. "I should apologize. It is clear to me now that going after Meridian was the correct thing to do." Swallowing as though he was trying to rid himself of an unpleasant aftertaste, the director forced out two more words. "Forgive me."

Next to Sara, Suvi let out a tiny sigh of relief. "While your apology is appreciated, Director, I'm not sure why I'm here. The Pathfinder is the one who made the decision." Sara smiled inwardly at the flustered expression on Tann's face.

"I've asked you both here because I understand that while Ryder made the call, you are the one who is mapping the Scourge, Dr. Anwar." Tann clasped his hands behind his back. "I'd like to know what sort of resources this project will require, and if anything can be done to fast-track it."

Sara watched as Suvi's eyes lit up, and excused herself as the little scientist began to rattle off a list of supplies the Tempest would need in order to probe the Scourge. She waved to Sid as she walked back to the tram, then focused on her omnitool. Reyes had emailed. Somehow (she was certain either Jaal or Vetra had spilled the beans), he'd been made aware of her latest mad scheme. Her insides churned with guilt, knowing she hadn't called him in a few days. She responded, asking when he'd be available to talk.

When she reached the cubbyhole that was masquerading as Dr. Carlyle's office, she was still anxiously tapping at the screen. Sara knew Reyes wouldn't answer while he was in Draullir, but a certain small part of her hoped anyway. "Hi, Harry. Sorry I'm late, Tann wanted to see me."

The doctor laid down his datapad. "Does that explain why you're so tense?"

Sara blinked. "Wow. I guess we're jumping right into it today. Yes and no." She settled herself into a chair, sparing a thought for how much Harry could communicate with silence. "It wasn't the lecture I was expecting, but the pressure's on anyway."

"Is this a different sort of pressure? It seems like you've been operating under a lot of stressors since we arrived." Harry looked expectantly at Sara.

"It is, actually. You know, it seems like every single day I've just been reacting to all the shit that's gone wrong, which is exhausting in and of itself. But now it feels like I have a real chance to get out and accomplish something." Before she could think better of it, she plowed ahead. "Of course, my brother thinks I'm completely off my rocker for trying it and my boyfriend is warning me to not get killed."

"This is the first time you've mentioned a boyfriend."

"Shit. Yeah. He's an exile and for some reason Tann and the rest get kind of squeamish about that." Sara sighed. "I know they're both just worried about me, but I'm scared enough without their reminders that yes, what I'm doing is in fact crazy."

"Family and relationships can be stressful even without the pressures of your job. I'm glad you recognize that they're concerned because they care."

Sara shifted uncomfortably. "I wish they knew that I care, too."

* * *

Reyes squinted into the setting sun as the mining team filed out of the cave. Apparently there was enough baryte in there to keep the outpost busy for weeks without even coming close to Collective operations. He wanted nothing more than a hot shower, a cold drink, and a call from Sara.

However, business had to be attended to. Most of the daily reports were routine, but one or two required an extra bit of attention. As Reyes made his way back to Tartarus, he noticed a line from Keema.

 _Taking you up on that offer. Will be at Tartarus in an hour._

At least he'd be certain of a drink. His omnitool chimed quietly as he unlocked the back room of Tartarus, alerting him to Sara's call.

"I don't have much time," she began, breathing quickly, "but I'll be on Kadara in two days and I really need to see you."

"Why, Sara, how forward of you."

" _Reyes."_ Despite the annoyed tone, he was sure he heard her stifle a laugh. "How did today go?"

"Not nearly as bad as it could have been," he admitted. "I won't have to go back any time soon."

"I'm glad to hear that." Sara paused. "Look, I have to go talk to my team, but Reyes?"

"Is this where you explain to me why I found out through Keema that you're planning something insane?" Reyes hadn't meant to sound so accusing, and when Sara responded, it was in a tone he hadn't heard her use before.

"I wanted to tell you in person. But Reyes…" Her voice caught.

"I know, Sara. I'm sorry."


	22. Chapter 22

Sara leaned on the railing of the bridge, surveying the cluster map. "All right, Kallo. We've probed Civki, Kindrax, and Rohvir. Just to be safe, let's also hit Vaalon and Hefena before we head to Kadara."

"Of course, Ryder. Suvi, you'll be able to help me place the probes?" Kallo flipped two switches and tapped a button.

"Anything you need, best friend." Suvi had been all smiles, even more so than usual since Tann had directly acknowledged her efforts, and Sara couldn't help but be warmed by her energy.

The pilot chuckled. "I'm your best friend?"

"Well, of course!" Suvi beamed at him over her mug. "I'm glad we work together."

Sara cleared her throat. "Sounds like you two have it pretty well in hand here. Good work. I'll be in the armory. Call me if anything, and I mean anything, happens." She ducked into the airlock to pick up her newest purchase, then stopped in the research center to transfer some schematics to her omnitool, nodding quickly to Liam before heading to the cargo bay.

Once she reached the armory, Sara took a moment to flex her fingers, crack her neck, and indulge herself by turning up some extremely loud dance music. Then she got to work. Vetra, Jaal, and Drack all drifted in and out of the room, but she was nearly oblivious to their comings and goings, losing herself in the simple joy of working with her hands. Only when Vetra set a bowl of Jaal's soup at her side with a pointed glance did she take a break.

Nearly five hours later (the half-finished soup had long since gone cold), she gave her creation a final approving nod. The easy part was done. The waiting until she arrived on Kadara would be considerably more difficult. Picking up her bowl, she returned to her quarters, hoping to catch a few hours of sleep.

* * *

At Tartarus, Reyes attempted to distract himself with offworld intelligence reports, but found it more and more difficult to concentrate with each passing minute. The Tempest had requested to dock, and Sara could arrive at any moment. He felt like a heel, remembering how their last conversation had ended. She didn't have to explain her Pathfinder duties to him, and he hoped she'd let him make it up to her.

His omnitool had only just chimed when the door slid open and a white-faced Sara flung herself into his arms. Paying no heed to her armor or weapons, Reyes held her, murmuring endearments and stroking her hair. "It's all right, dearest."

"I love you, Reyes." The words burst from her as she clung to him. "I'm scared, and I don't know what's coming, but I love you."

"I love you too, Sara. It's okay to be scared. You're here, I've got you." He kissed her, willing her to accept the truth of his words, but Sara surprised him. The fevered press of her lips on his broke, and she pulled back slightly, her hands on his chest.

"You mean more to me than anyone in this world, Reyes. You have to know that." There was a desperation to her words, a wildness in her eyes. A cold finger of fear touched him. "I need you to say it to me."

"I know, Sara. About the last call-"

She cut him off, kissing him again with a passion he'd never seen in her before. Her fingers wound themselves in his hair, her body arched toward him, and before he realized it, Sara's lips were grazing his neck, one of her hands unzipping his jacket. Despite the worry that had just shot through him, his body responded to her nearness and he was already hard.

He hadn't expected this. Sara preferred to keep their trysts private, either in her quarters aboard the Tempest or at his badlands hideaway. With a low growl of pleasure, Reyes tried to return the favor, but Sara insistently wound lower. Her fingers skimmed over his chest and her mouth burned hot against him, even through his shirt. He fell backward onto the couch, his breathing rough and his cock already aching for her.

She didn't keep him waiting long, but every moment was still torture before she knelt between his legs and took him in her mouth. He gasped as heat spread over him, the fingers of one hand twined in her ponytail, Sara's hands and lips working in tandem to bring him to his release. It came swiftly, but was no less intense for it. Reyes bit his other hand as he came, then looked down at her.

Even in his haze, the emotions chasing each other over her face stood out starkly. One moment tender, the next tense, then slightly ashamed, shy, and nervous. "Sara," he said weakly, hoping to reassure her even a little bit. "That was incredible."

She smiled at him, and he saw a flash of the sparkle that had drawn him to her. "I just…" Sara swallowed again and lowered her eyes sheepishly. "I don't know how to tell you how I feel, so I was hoping to show you. I love you, Reyes."

"I love you too, Sara." Reyes was still a little fuzzy, but noticed that she was unstrapping a weapon. Something new and distinctly unlike her usual style of rapid-fire assault weapon and armor-piercing sidearm. "What's that?"

Sara held the sniper rifle out to him. "I didn't steal it, not like the one you gave me," she teased. "But I gave it every upgrade I could find, and one or two that I developed myself."

He took it wordlessly, running a hand over the sleek stock. The weapon was elegant, beautifully balanced, and it looked like Sara had even fitted it with the heat-signature scope he favored. "I can't believe you did this for me."

"I want you to stay safe, and this seemed like a good way to start," she murmured, curling up against him. "But there's one thing you haven't noticed about it yet. Look closely at the barrel."

Reyes bent his head and noticed the subtle lettering stamped onto it. "You named it Hades?"

"To go with your shuttle." Sara drew back slightly and gazed up at him. "I hope that's not a problem?"

"Not at all. I know you love me, Sara, and this is an amazing gift. But I feel like we should talk about what's going on." Reyes set the rifle aside gently and took Sara's trembling hands in his. "This isn't like you. Is something wrong?"

She flushed, then, and he pulled her closer. "Am I that easy to read?"

"This is Andromeda. It's a safe bet that something's wrong," Reyes said dryly. "What is it?"

"I have a bad feeling about this mission." Sara knotted her hands together, her face drained of color again. "If...if I don't come back…" She choked, then, and hid her face in his shoulder.

Reyes held back the quick reassurance that sprang to his lips. Sara didn't need empty words now. "There's always that small chance," he said instead. "But you go out there and you fight anyway. It's part of why I love you."

"Sometimes I wish I didn't have to," Sara confessed. "It would be nice not to have quite so many worries. Does that make me a coward?"

"That makes you a person." He kissed the top of her head. "I think you sometimes forget that you're still human, Sara. You have limits and you've been pushing them for too long." I wish I could take care of you, he added silently. I wish I could do that much for you.

"Limits," Sara said bitterly. "You don't get to have limits when you're trying to just survive." She paused, and the tension running through her was a palpable thing. "I'm sorry. I should go, the crew needs me."

"Stay just a little longer, Sara." Reyes heard the pleading note in his voice but didn't care. "Let me show you how I feel."

"I can't, Reyes." Her hands cupped his face, the green glints in her eyes dim. "I love you. Be safe." Her kiss was shaky but tender, and then she was gone.

Try as he might, Reyes couldn't quite dismiss the idea that Sara was walking a crumbling edge, about to fall and be broken.

* * *

The Remnant city was silent and dark, which served only to heighten Sara's sense of unease. "No time to waste," she said, steeling herself against panic. Sara took point, while Drack and Jaal fell into their usual places behind her.

Nothing seemed out of line as they made their way to the chamber where Sara had previously found the flight plans. Even though all remained quiet, she couldn't help checking behind her every so often, just as she knew SAM would alert her if there was anything there. Using the program Suvi had given her, she leaned on the console and watched, entranced, as the path toward Meridian lit up.

Jaal's hiss startled her into speaking. "This...this is what we've been working for," Sara breathed. "We can get to the root of the issue. We can build Heleus from the ground up. Make it flourish again."

A sharp pain at the base of her skull snapped her out of her awe. Wincing, she raised a hand to the back of her neck and was stunned when her fingers began to tingle as though they had fallen asleep. Then she heard a voice, deep and forbidding, a voice she'd tried to push from her thoughts when she was alone. " _Congratulations, Pathfinder. A great day for us all."_

The Archon, Sara thought hazily. Her breath came shorter. "SAM?" Sara's voice turned thin and brittle. "Tempest? What's happening?" Flashes of blinding light and pain hit her, and she fell to her knees, gasping.

"Hold on, kid." Drack hauled her back to her feet. "Jaal, get that door!"

It had slammed shut behind them, and Sara was in no shape to interact with the Remnant technology. "Stay strong, Ryder!" Jaal pushed on the door, realized quickly that it was pointless, and rushed back to her side.

" _Fall to darkness, Pathfinder. You were almost worthy."_

"Oh god," she choked. "Jaal, Drack...this is it." She fell, nearly senseless with pain. "Something's wrong with my connection to SAM. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry...tell Reyes I love him."

"You're going to tell him yourself, Ryder." Jaal's voice was rough with fear. She tried to smile at him, but knew from the look on his face that it hadn't worked. With his help, she stumbled toward the door. Holding up her hand, she concentrated in an attempt to force it open. When it failed, Sara snarled and tried again. The effort cost too much, and everything went black.

* * *

Sara gasped, limbs flailing as she struggled to figure out where she was, why it was so cold, and how she'd ended up on the floor again.

"Ryder!" snapped a sharp voice. "Hold still, we've got you."

"Lexi?" Sara croaked, struggling to sit up despite the many pairs of hands holding her down. "How did you get here so quickly?"

"Pathfinder...it's been nearly twenty minutes." Liam looked sick, and Sara glanced around, noticing that it seemed as though the entire Tempest crew had come running. "We thought you were gone for good this time."

"So the third attempt to kill me didn't work? That must be some kind of record." Nobody cracked a smile, or even tried to reproach her for the bad joke. "Oh no. What's happened?"

"Ryder," Kallo said over her comm, his voice shaking. "The Archon has taken the Hyperion. We think he's heading toward Meridian."

Sara grabbed Drack by the arm and hauled herself to her feet. "Then we're going after him. We're going to stop him, and we're going to get the Hyperion back." The steel in her voice rang hard through the room. "And then we're going to kick his ugly Archon ass."

"Agreed," Drack rumbled.

"Right behind you, Pathfinder." Liam and Jaal nodded.

"You cannot be serious," Cora protested. "We're not going to save anyone if we get ourselves killed!"

"This is Ryder's call," Vetra said. "If she says we're going, then we're going."

"But we need a plan." Cora was undeterred. "We're only one ship and the Tempest isn't even armed!"

"Stop jerk, save ark," Peebee responded. "Simple as that."

Sara, meanwhile, staggered over to the Remnant console. Placing her left hand over it, she began to focus, pouring every ounce of strength into raising the Remnant fleet. As the ships came to life around her, lights flaring, she felt something break and a warm tickle below her nose warned her that she'd overdone it.

"The Archon might have the Hyperion," Sara said, her voice hard. "But we've got the Remnant now. And once I send out the call, we'll have everyone in Heleus."


	23. Chapter 23

Sara's face was set in hard lines, but even through the vidcom Reyes could tell that she was on the point of exhaustion. Dried blood on her lip suggested she'd seen a fight, and he wondered when she'd last slept. Or eaten, for that matter.

Her words washed over him, numb with shock. The tilt of her chin, the clench in her jaw, suggested a barely contained rage Reyes hadn't known her to be capable of. He'd been partly right, then. The woman didn't crack, but there was only so far you could push Sara before all hell broke loose. He shook his head and restarted the message.

This time, he was able to concentrate on the words. She needed backup, and she was calling on the whole galaxy to assist. Reyes had an idea of what it had cost her to send the message. Sara, who had been so vulnerable in his arms just two days ago, stood straight and defiant even as she implored everyone to take up arms to save the Hyperion. She needed him, and damn the consequences, he'd go to help her.

Well over a year ago, he'd walked away from the Nexus and the Initiative because he wanted no part in their war. He'd carved out his place on Kadara bit by bit, carefully considering each move and its greater consequences before acting. It had brought him this far, but now there was no time to think. Keema would have to act as the Charlatan for however long this took. He realized that he didn't mind the idea nearly much as he thought he would have.

Weapons, armor, ammunition, rations, medigel. He scrambled through Tartarus and Collective HQ grabbing supplies while trying to think of what he'd say to Keema. Reyes had no doubt that she would frown on his going, but found he didn't care.

With Hades strapped to his back and a duffle filled with various necessities, he skidded into the throne room and made straight for Keema. "The Pathfinder needs backup."

"And you think you're the man for the job, Vidal?" Keema watched him through an inscrutable mask. "You're needed here and at Ditaeon."

"Damn it, Keema." Reyes gesticulated wildly. "The kett have one of the Initiative arks and they're bent on destroying the vaults or worse. I can't ignore that."

Her mouth tightened and she nodded slowly. "This could be our opportunity to show the Initiative the value of peace. Go. Take Vero's team and make sure they know we're there."

She might have added more, but Reyes was already running for the docks.

Persephone needed fuel before she could make the trip, and while Reyes waited he sent instructions to Vero's team including rendezvous coordinates. Once that was done, he sat back in the pilot's seat and scrubbed a hand over his face. Several times he almost dialed Sara's frequency only to stay his hand, wondering if talking to her would ease her mind or prove to be a fatal distraction.

Better not risk it, he thought. She knows she can always call me.

So why did he feel so afraid?

* * *

There was an electricity in the air, an energy Sara had never felt to this degree. Her stomach churned as she methodically stripped down and cleaned her weapons, checking each piece as she reassembled them. As every mod and magazine snapped into place, the tension in her shoulders ratcheted higher until her entire body shook with it.

The Archon had the Hyperion, which meant that he had Scott. If he'd seen her memories, if he'd guessed that Scott also had the SAM implant...Sara dropped her reinforced stock and braced herself against her workbench.

"Pathfinder," Suvi said over the comm. "Lieutenant Harper wants to speak to you."

"I don't want to talk to her." Sara tried to pick up the stock, but her trembling hands betrayed her and she slumped in defeat.

"I relayed your response to Lieutenant Harper, and she said that she understands that you're overwhelmed, but that this is important."

Sara squinted at the blue globe that represented SAM, missing her companion more than she realized. "Seriously?"

"She didn't use those words," Suvi admitted. "She is waiting for you on the bridge."

"And she'll come barging in here if I don't meet her?"

"Again, Lieutenant Harper did not use those words."

"Tell her I'm coming." Sara tried one more time to fit the stock on her assault rifle before giving it up as a bad job, striding out of her quarters, and scaling the ladder to the bridge. Wiping her hands on her pants, she tried to school her features into something resembling calm while the door opened.

Cora stood looking over the cluster map, and while Kallo remained at the helm, Suvi was notably absent. Sara heartily sympathized. "Pathfinder, we need to talk."

"So it's 'Pathfinder' now? Don't stand on formality, Cora. Just say whatever it is that's on your mind." She leaned against Suvi's console, hoping her balled fists weren't shaking too badly.

"You sound exactly like Alec." Cora's mouth pressed into a flat line. "And you look like him, too."

"I doubt family resemblance is the reason we're here. Spit it out." Sara's throat kept tightening and the pressure at the base of her skull continued to build.

"All right. I saw what you did earlier. I know what happened." Cora faced Sara, steel in her voice.

"Glad you caught it. Nice speech, right? Really got the blood moving." Sara tried to shrug it off, resorting to humor. "I'm pretty proud of it, to be honest."

"No, Ryder. I saw you interface with the Remnant. Without SAM. It hurt you, didn't it?" Sara didn't respond, and Cora nodded. "You have to stop. We can't bury another Ryder."

"I can't, Cora, and you know that." Sara unclenched her hands. "If we don't act, the Archon gets to do whatever the fuck he wants and I am not going to let that happen. He has my brother." And my mother, she added silently.

"But-" Cora stopped when she saw the look on Sara's face.

"Whatever well-meaning advice you were going to give me, forget it." She turned away. "The galaxy can lose me, but it can't lose Meridian."

* * *

"Wake up, Vidal." He hadn't been sleeping, it wasn't really possible under the circumstances, but Reyes shook off the doze and focused on Vero. "We'll reach those coordinates soon, but the Scourge is extremely active here. I'll rouse the rest of the team and warn the other shuttle if you take over the controls."

"Thanks, Vero." Reyes watched the turian poke a series of buttons as his console lit up.

"Anytime. And Vidal?" His gray eyes narrowed, the dash lighting making red clan markings stand out like blood. "Keema said she'd kill you if you let the Pathfinder die. What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

Reyes tried to stay casual. "Probably that the Pathfinder's more important to the Collective than I am." Vero snorted. "I guess in this scenario, she isn't wrong."

Once Vero had disappeared into the cargo area, Reyes permitted himself one sigh. Blast Keema, he thought. As if he had any intention of leaving Sara's side.

The tendrils of flashing black and orange energy twisted through empty space, beautiful and deadly. Far in the distance, Reyes could see shapes converging, green light flickering, and a mass of gray that he couldn't yet understand. He punched Vetra's frequency on his omnitool.

"This better be important," was the grumpy answer. "Pathfinder's got us all ready for...something."

"It is. Can you get me on the Initiative channel?" Reyes heard a muffled swear, then Sara's voice instructing the Tempest crew to hang on to something.

"Consider it done, if Kallo doesn't kill us all first." Vetra laughed and then grunted in pain.

"What the hell is she doing?" He gripped the yoke, diving under a whiplash of current.

"Spirits take me, Vidal, she just said something about no longer running. She's not making sense. You should be getting the fleet updates now, I've got to go."

"Luck," he started to say, but the line was already gone.

As the Scourge grew denser, even Reyes' skill as a pilot was put to the test. But it wasn't until he broke through the worst of it and saw the kett armada that he understood what Sara was doing.

The Tempest lived up to its name and Kallo to his reputation, streaking past cruisers and fighters like lightning, drawing them close and letting the Scourge grasp at the enemies. The burn from the engines, the blaze of weapons, and the strange glow of the dark energy combined into a glare straight out of some nightmarish vid. Persephone had no guns and hardly any shielding to speak of, and Reyes bit his lip in concentration as he darted through gaps in the fleet. One mistake could mean the end.

But something was different-besides the Initiative fleet, small as it was, silent blue-black ships engaged the oddly insect-like kett fighters. "Shit," Reyes whispered, "she somehow got the Remnant."

While he was marveling at that, a blinding white light flooded the cockpit when the gray sphere seemed to split open. He could only just tell that the ark disappeared through it when Sara's voice crackled over the comm. "He's going to ground! Wherever the Archon is headed, that's our destination."

The next shock was hearing Evfra's voice. "Gravity is inverted. Be ready." With that extra few seconds of warning, Reyes was able to maneuver into a better position and had recovered from the sudden switch in polarity in time to see the Nomad drop to the ground.

"The Archon's betting we won't chase him with the Hyperion at risk," Sara growled, apparently already shooting off in pursuit.

"Stay on him, Pathfinder Ryder. We'll guard the ark." That one was familiar, but Reyes couldn't place it. Sara recognized it, though.

"Kandros? Who else is with you?"

He thought that was a pretty clear opening. "The whole damn cavalry. You know I can't resist a party."

"Well then." Sara sounded breathless. "Let's find the Archon."

Later, people would press Reyes for details, wanting to know what it was like to be at the Battle for Meridian. But as with all firefights, he could never really say for sure. Images would flash into his mind with painful clarity, though he was never certain if the memory was true or a product of an overstressed mind.

Only one thing stood out: protect Sara. At some point Vero took over the flight controls and Reyes stood in the cargo bay, tracking kett ships through Hades' scope. Thick smoke rose from the wreckage of shuttles and fighters alike, the dense greenery scarred by fire. Whatever happened, somehow Persephone touched down with all on board still standing.

Not that they were uninjured. Reyes was nursing a burn on his arm and several others had taken bullets, but one of Vero's soldiers had medic training and the most pressing wounds had been treated. The Nomad skidded to a halt, Sara leaping from the driver's seat with a fierce grace and a message for all the allies assembled.

"The Hyperion is down. Thanks to Captain Dunn, all those still in cryosleep are safe but we are far from finished here. I'm going in after the Archon, and I need all of you to stay here and guard this entrance before the kett can send backup." She paused to slam a fresh clip into her assault rifle. "One way or another, we're ending this."

Before he knew it, he was running for her, desperate to tell her once and for all that he loved her, but something in her face stopped him before he got too close. "Pathfinder," he called instead, raising one hand in a salute, "come back."

She gave him a wild grin, and then she was through the Remnant doors and gone.


	24. Chapter 24

In his time in Heleus, Reyes had had several harsh lessons in patience. First, during the long days leading up to the mutiny; then, while he plotted and waited to bring down Sloane. Most painfully, after Sara left him standing in Draullir with a crown of dust and ashes.

And yet, waiting for word from Meridian control tested him more thoroughly than any of those. Comms were down, and the last he'd heard was from a krogan scout bringing out an injured comrade. He'd reported simply that Sara and her team were cutting through kett and Remnant, focused on bringing her brother back to safety.

Hours dragged by, with each wave of kett reinforcements coming slower and smaller than the last. Reyes acquainted himself with Hades during that time, wondering if Sara had known how vital the weapon would be. He remembered the pride with which she'd given it to him and admired the obvious skill with weapon modifications she possessed.

For all her determination, for all her expertise, for all her sheer courage, he still worried. Come back to me, Sara, he prayed.

Nearly seven hours had passed since she'd disappeared into the vault when a burst of static startled everyone. Then another, and another, in quicker succession until the noise began to resolve into something sounding like a wail. It was like nothing Reyes had ever heard before and a cold fear gripped him-had the Archon killed one of them? Was that the scream of someone being forced into exaltation?

If such a thing was even possible, the silence that followed was harder to bear. Those who were able tended to the wounded, and anyone who couldn't do that kept their heads down. How would they know who had won the day? Tensions ratcheted higher, even though no one said a word. Uncertain of what else he could do, Reyes stood in the shadow of Persephone, weapons at the ready in case the worst had happened.

When the doors opened and the Pathfinder team stumbled out, shielding their eyes from the daylight and supporting a young man Reyes supposed was Scott, it took everything in him not to rush to Sara's side. The Tempest's science officer darted to the front of the gathered crowd, followed by the ship's doctor who grabbed Scott before he succumbed to exhaustion.

"Pathfinder," Suvi greeted her breathlessly. "Everyone's been waiting to hear from you. What do you say?"

Sara's face was streaked with soot, blood, and sweat. Her hair had escaped its ponytail and hung limply over her suit's collar. She held herself stiffly, like she'd been hurt and didn't want to admit it. In short, she looked terrible. But she grinned in triumph and Reyes' breath caught at the sheer power of life it held. "Tell them...we're home." Her eyes swept over the crowd until they snagged on his. Not sure he could trust himself to speak, he simply winked at her, just as he had at their first meeting.

He'd meant to walk away, just as he had at Kralla's Song. Instead, he looked on in shock as Sara's knees shook and she crumpled to the ground.

* * *

This was not her bed, Sara was sure of it. It was far too warm and too comfortable. The room didn't sound right, either. There was no gentle hum of an engine. Where was she?

Her eyes were too heavy, but she forced them open anyway. As she adjusted to the dim lighting, Sara realized she was in the Hyperion's Pathfinder quarters and that every spare blanket she'd stolen had been piled on her. A gentle snore from Dr. Carlyle suggested who was responsible for that, but didn't tell her much more. Armed with that knowledge, she sat up and quickly realized she'd made a mistake. Her head spinning, she leaned back against the headboard and instead flicked open her omnitool. That, too, was a mistake.

Over two thousand new messages? What the hell happened? The last thing she could clearly remember was reaching Scott in Meridian control.

Oh shit, she thought. Scott. She struggled to sit up again, looking around her for anything she could use as a makeshift crutch.

"Harry?" she tried to call, but her voice was a rusty croak. She coughed, then tried again. "Doc, where's my brother?"

The good doctor sat bolt upright on the couch Sara knew to be highly uncomfortable, reading glasses askew and uniform rumpled. "You're awake! Excellent, Scott was so worried for you." He began to bustle around the tiny apartment, offering her a small cup of water, two tablets, and a protein gel. "Take the tablets with a sip first, then eat the gel and drink the rest. How do you feel?"

"Dizzy, mostly." Sara followed his directions obediently, seeing little point in arguing. "And like I tried to swallow a grenade whole. But what about Scott? What happened?"

"Scott is currently being examined by Dr. T'Perro. He is well, but she is trying to determine if he will suffer any lasting damage from his struggle against the Archon."

Sara's heart leapt. "SAM, you're back!"

"I am, Pathfinder. Our connection has been restored."

Dr. Carlyle cleared his throat. "For the best, we think. Lexi has a theory that interfacing with the Remnant without SAM caused your short-term memory issues. And to answer your earlier question, you've been unconscious for about thirty-six hours. You killed the Archon, got outside, and collapsed."

"So...we're safe? It's over?" Sara realized how tense she'd been and made a concerted effort to relax her shoulders and neck. "Wait, thirty-six hours?"

Dr. Carlyle shrugged before tapping a few keys on his omnitool. "Likely there's still something of a kett presence, but from what we can tell, they're on the run. I'm going to bring your team in soon, they've been taking turns waiting outside. First, though, you should use the facilities."

He helped her walk to the tiny bathroom, but politely stepped back when she grumbled that she was perfectly capable of peeing by herself, thank you. A quick rendezvous with a hairbrush helped her mood as well, and by the time she finished washing her face and hands she felt almost like herself again, if a very tired and wobbly version. "Thanks, Harry. Any further instructions?"

"Stay in bed, and no matter what that krogan tries to bring you, don't drink any alcohol." Harry gathered up his datapad and jacket. "I'll check in with you later."

Almost as soon as he'd finished speaking, there was a clatter of footsteps and Sara found herself wrapped in a very enthusiastic if somewhat spiky hug. "Ryder, you scared the shit out of me. Don't do that again, do you understand?"

"Don't worry, Vetra." Sara grinned at her friend. "I have no desire to ever do anything that stupid again."

Liam settled himself comfortably at the foot of her bed. "It's good, though, right? Bad guys defeated, time for another football match? Or another movie night?" Drack snorted. "We should do something to celebrate!"

"If you can wait a day or two, there's going to be an actual party," Cora said. "I heard there might be real food at this one. Seriously, though, Pathfinder, we were all worried for you. We're…" She knotted her fingers together and shook her head.

"We are all glad to see you," Jaal finished. "Suvi says there is a custom of bringing friends flowers when they are injured or sick." He held up a potted plant that looked like a cross between ivy and geraniums. "She helped me choose this."

"It's beautiful. Thank you." Sara couldn't stop smiling at her team, even though she felt like she could sleep another twelve hours.

"I'm glad you like it." Suvi's voice was coming from behind Drack. "Don't try eating it, though, I want to run some tests on it first."

"You can't run tests on a gift after you've given it! Then it's not a present, it's just an experiment." Vetra shook her head in Suvi's general direction.

"I don't know about that," Peebee cut in. "I've seen some of Suvi's experiments and I think Ryder won't want it after the experiment. Back me up, Kallo."

"No way." Kallo appeared to be somewhere behind Drack as well. "I'm not getting involved in another one of these. I might end up with a bot in my bunk or tea in my chair."

"I'm not going to eat it," Sara protested weakly, realizing exactly how ridiculous the whole thing sounded. "It's lovely and it belongs on my desk."

Drack took the plant from Jaal and set it on the bedside table. "Gil sends his best. He's helping fix up the auxiliary systems on the Hyperion and wants to know when we're getting back to work."

"It might be a while," Sara hedged. "I want to make sure Scott's okay before we head out again."

Liam guffawed. "I'm sure Peebee does, too."

The tech expert's eyes narrowed. "Ryder, can I borrow that pillow? I think I need to beat Liam with it."

"Wait, no!" Liam tried to duck, but it was too late. Peebee had dived at him and under cover of the ensuing scuffle, Sara nudged Vetra.

"Hey," she asked quietly. "Did Reyes make it through all right?"

"Yeah," Vetra whispered back. "I just sent him a message letting him know that you're awake. Drack will help me get these weirdos out so you can have some time with him."

"That's right, kid." Drack neatly separated Peebee and Liam. "Everyone, follow me. Pathfinder needs some quiet."

"Among other things," Liam quipped, eyebrows waggling.

As her team filed out, Sara reflected that she'd survived the Archon only to die of embarrassment.

* * *

Reyes stared at the message, heart lighter than it had been since Sara left Tartarus. She was okay. After her collapse, the frenzy of doctors and medtechs, and more than a full day of worrying, Sara was awake and talking.

There were still injuries to tend to and systems to fix, Reyes knew, not to mention a colony to organize. Sara would have her hands full the moment she was allowed out of bed, so he'd just have to claim her time while she was resting. As he passed through the Hyperion, he kept his expression carefully blank. So far, the Initiative hadn't challenged his right to be there, but he wasn't about to push his luck.

Vetra lounged by Sara's door, apparently deep in conversation. "For the last time, Sid, no. After that stunt you pulled with cat DNA, you cannot have access to the livestock databanks." She winked at him as he passed. "I don't care if it's for ice cream. You can't even eat it!" Reyes stopped just short of the door, uncertain of how to proceed, and settled on knocking politely after several agonizing moments.

"Come in." Sara was sitting up in bed, scrolling through messages on a datapad, but she put it away when she saw it was Reyes. Patting the space next to her, she mustered up a smile. "Hey, you." Her voice was rough and she had several bandages wrapped around her arm and neck, but she looked much better than the last time he'd seen her.

"Are you sure? I don't want to hurt you. Or piss off your doctors." Despite that, Reyes settled down on the side of her bed and wrapped an arm loosely around Sara's shoulders. "Dr. T'Perro looks like she could disassemble me with a scalpel."

Sara giggled, then winced. "She'd be flattered if she heard you say that. And it feels like my ribs took a beating somewhere along the line."

"I'm not surprised. What you did was incredible, Sara." He bent to kiss the top of her head. "But you scared the shit out of me. I think we were all afraid we'd lose you."

"Vetra said the same thing, but nope, still here." Sara snuggled against him. "I guess bits of my memory aren't, but on the whole I'm pretty lucky."

"Lucky," Reyes murmured. "That's not the word I'd use."

"Oh?" Tipping her head up, she smiled mischievously. "What words would you use?"

He couldn't help himself. Injured or not, he needed to kiss her. When he broke it off, her cheeks were pink and her eyes sparkled. "I think you know."

She put out her lip in a mock pout. "Tease. I just wanted a little of that patented Reyes charm."

"Oh? In that case, I found the perfect storage closet to try out later." He lowered his voice and wound his fingers in her hair. "Secluded. Sturdy crates. Like our first date."

Sara laughed again. "Maybe when they let me out of bed." Her expression turned serious and she waved vaguely in the direction of her datapad. "I don't know where this leaves me. I guess everything's been rapidly terraforming and there's been very little kett activity. What am I going to be if I'm not the Pathfinder any more?"

"I wouldn't count yourself out yet, Sara." Reyes kissed the back of her hand. "But I do think you deserve a break. Come to Kadara. Stay with me a little while. We can figure this out together."

"Sounds perfect." Sara yawned. "Sorry. Guess I'm still pretty tired."

He held her a little tighter. "Of course you are. Rest now, sweetheart."

"Reyes?" Her voice trembled slightly. "I know you have to go back soon, but would you stay with me until I fall asleep?"

"Of course. I love you, Sara."

"I love you too, Reyes."


End file.
